Prognosis of symptomatic versus asymptomatic autoimmune hepatitis: a study of 68 patients

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic liver disorder of unknown etiology. Disease presentation ranges from asymptomatic to symptomatic onset, fulminant, acute, or chronic.

To evaluate the prognosis of patients with asymptomatic versus symptomatic AIH and to determine the role of early treatment and prognostic factors in this subgroup of patients.

Sixty-eight patients with AIH were retrospectively evaluated for clinical presentation, liver function tests, autoantibody profile, liver biopsy, treatment, and long-term prognosis.

Twenty-three patients were classified as having asymptomatic AIH. They were compared with the 45 AIH patients with symptomatic onset. Patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic presentations were indistinguishable by age, but there was a relative male predominance in the asymptomatic group. Aminotransferase and immunoglobulin levels were lower in the asymptomatic group. In contrast, the histopathologic picture was indistinguishable between the two groups. Lobular hepatitis of a moderate to severe degree, portal fibrosis, and bridging fibrosis were detected in similar frequencies in both groups. Asymptomatic onset led to a delay in diagnosis and, consequently, in the initiation of treatment and was associated with use of relatively lower doses of corticosteroids. Response to treatment and long-term prognosis of asymptomatic patients was better than that observed in the symptomatic group.

Asymptomatic onset of AIH is relatively common. The clinical presentation appears in correlation with liver functions tests but not with liver histology. This subgroup of AIH carries a better response to treatment and a favorable prognosis.