[Autoimmune hepatitis with hepatitis C virus markers (anti HCV antibody or HCV-RNA) and interferon therapy]

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) with hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers are seen frequently after the establishment of the method to detect HCV markers. According to the mechanism of the liver injury, we divide these cases of AIH with HCV markers to three groups; 1) the cases of AIH with HCV infection incidentally, 2) the cases of AIH triggered by HCV infection, and 3) the cases of chronic hepatitis C with immunological abnormalities. As far as we don't have any markers to differentiate these cases, we now think we should treat such cases with steroids at first before administering interferon, when we are not sure about the mechanism of the liver injury, because interferon is thought to be more risky than steroid for the cases who may have immunological abnormalities.