Autoimmune hepatitis and multiple sclerosis: a coincidental association?

Mult Scler. 2005 Dec;11(6):691-3. doi: 10.1191/1352458505ms1239oa.

Abstract

In the present study we report, as part of a large multiple sclerosis (MS) cohort (1800 patients), three cases of untreated patients who developed autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). The prevalence of AIH in the general population is about 0.0169% and seems to be higher in our MS cohort (0.17%). We suggest that a liver biopsy should systematically be performed in untreated MS patients with a sustained increase of liver enzyme.

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / therapeutic use
  • Adult
  • Disability Evaluation
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Hepatitis, Autoimmune / epidemiology*
  • Humans
  • Interferon-beta / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Sclerosis / drug therapy
  • Multiple Sclerosis / epidemiology*
  • Prevalence
  • Prognosis

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Interferon-beta