What are autoimmune liver
disorders?
An autoimmune disorder is when your
immune system attacks your organs or tissues by mistake. In the liver, the immune
system can destroy liver cells and harm bile ducts. Long-term (chronic) hepatitis can be
caused by an autoimmune disorder.
In autoimmune hepatitis, your
immune system destroys liver cells. This condition may be called type 1 or type 2. The
type depends on the type of antibodies attacking the liver cells.
Type 1 (classic) autoimmune hepatitis
This is the most common form. It may happen at any age. But it often affects young
women more than men. Other autoimmune disorders can be linked to type 1. These
include:
-
Thyroid diseases
-
Celiac disease. In this disease, eating gluten can harm the
small intestine.
-
Ulcerative colitis or other inflammatory disease of the
colon
Type 2 autoimmune hepatitis
This often affects girls between ages 2 and 14. Sometimes it affects adults.
What are metabolic liver
disorders?
Two main metabolic disorders affect
the liver.
Hemachromatosis
This disease is sometimes called iron overload disorder. Your body
absorbs too much iron from food. The extra iron is stored all over the body,
including the liver and pancreas. The extra iron can harm these organs.
Hemochromatosis is an inherited disease. This means it is passed down through
families. It can lead to liver disease, liver failure, liver cancer, heart disease,
arthritis, skin darkening, and diabetes.
Wilson disease
With this disease, your body keeps too much copper in the liver.
Over time, the damaged liver releases copper into the blood. This inherited disease
can harm the kidneys, brain, and eyes. It can lead to severe brain damage, liver
failure, and death.
Other conditions
Sometimes other metabolic liver conditions occur. These include
alpha-1antitrypsin deficiency, Gaucher disease, and cystic fibrosis-related liver
disease. Some are more common in children.
