What is autoimmune hepatitis? Autoimmune hepatitis is a type of
liver inflammation in which the body’s immune cells attack
healthy liver cells after mistaking them for disease-causing
foreign substances. The liver assists the digestive system and
carries out many other essential functions. These functions
include producing bile to help break down food into energy;
creating essential substances, such as hormones; cleaning toxins
from the blood, including those from medication, alcohol and
drugs; and controlling fat storage and cholesterol production
and release. Autoimmune hepatitis is a disease that affects two
body systems, the liver, which is part of your gastrointestinal
system, and your immune system. While other forms of hepatitis
are caused by bacteria or viruses, in autoimmune hepatitis, the
immune system itself attacks the liver cells because it cannot
distinguish between harmful invaders and healthy liver tissue.
The prognosis for autoimmune hepatitis varies. In many people,
corticosteroid therapy is