Background and aim: The prevalence and spectrum of autoimmune liver diseases (AILDs) in India are rarely reported in comparison to the West.
Method: During a study period of 7 years, all patients with chronic liver diseases (CLDs) were evaluated for the presence of AILDs on the basis of clinical, biochemical, imaging, serological, and histological characteristics.
Results: Of a total of 1760 CLD patients (38.1% females), 102 patients (5.7%) had an AILD. A total of 75 (11.2%) female patients had an AILD. Among males, 27 (2.4%) had an AILD. The prevalence of AILDs in women increased from 11.2% to 45.7% and in men from 2.4% to 10.3%, after excluding alcohol, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus as a cause of CLD. Of the AILDs, autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) was present in 79 patients (77.4%), followed in descending order by primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in 10 patients (9.8%), PBC/AIH true overlap syndrome in six patients (5.8%), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in five patients (4.9%), and PBC/AIH switchover syndrome in two patients (1.9%). None had PSC/AIH or PBC/PSC overlap syndrome. Associated known autoimmune diseases were found in 40 (39.2%) patients.
Conclusions: AILDs are not uncommon in India. They should be suspected in all cases of CLDs, especially in middle-aged women who do not have problems with alcoholism and who are without viral etiology, as well as in all patients with known autoimmune diseases.