Abstract
Background: Autoimmune hepatitis is a complex disease that represents a challenge in diagnosis and management due to the diversity of the clinical presentation, now recognized as a relatively rare disease predominantly affecting females.
Aim of Study: This study aimed to describe the frequency and presentation of autoimmune hepatitis and type of autoan-tibodies among patients who attend a private clinic in Aden Yemen.
Patient and Methods: A prospective study carried out in a private clinic over a period of two years, from June 2016 to June 2018, all of 60 patients had raised liver enzymes and Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA), Anti-Smooth-Muscle Anti-bodies (ASMA) titers 1:80 or above upper limit, Anti Liver Kidney Microsomal (LKM-1). Titer 1:40 or above upper limit, and IgG more than 10 times of normal have been included in this study, all patients rejected liver biopsy.
Results: 60 subjects were recruited into study. The sex distribution showed a prominence of female gender (63%) versus (36%) being male. Residency distribution revealed that, the majority of our patients came from shabwa governorate (53.3%). The frequency of chronic hepatitis is 40% while each of acute hepatitis and liver cirrhosis constituted 30% of patients, antinuclear antibodies was elevated in 73.3% anti-smooth-muscle antibodies in 25% while anti liver kidney microsomal antibody was elevated only in 1.6%.
Conclusion: Autoimmune hepatitis frequency, presentation and type of autoantibodies among Yemeni patients do not remarkably differ from studies carried out world wide.