Cyclosporin, a new treatment for autoimmune chronic active hepatitis

A 51-year-old man whose aggressive autoimmune chronic active hepatitis had been treated with prednisone for five years, was treated with cyclosporin for 12 months. The disease had become unresponsive to high doses of prednisone and the side-effects had become disabling. Azathioprine could not be used because of drug hypersensitivity. With cyclosporin therapy the patient's symptoms disappeared for the first time since the onset of his illness, his liver enzyme levels fell almost to normal values and virtually no side-effects occurred. We suggest that cyclosporin be used on a clinical trial basis in patients with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis that is resistant to prednisone and azathioprine therapy.