Open Accessibility Menu
Request Appointment
(214) 947-4400 


Date published: July 7, 2023


Autoimmune and 


Cholestatic Liver Disease


OVERVIEW & TREATMENT OPTIONS



	Autoimmune liver diseases arise when the body’s immune system attacks
	 the liver which causes inflammation. Without treatment, the liver inflammation
	 could eventually cause cirrhosis of the liver, which may then lead to
	 liver cancer and liver failure.




	There are three main types of
	autoimmune liver diseases:



    
	
  1. 
		
    
			Autoimmune hepatitis. Occurs when your body’s immune system attacks your liver cells.
			 Often asymptomatic with no symptoms before liver failure, it affects both
			 children and adults and can lead to cirrhosis and acute liver failure.
		
    
	
    2. 
	
  2. 
		
    
			Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). This condition is the result of the body’s own immune cells attacking
			 and destroying the biliary ducts within the liver. Symptoms may include
			 itching, dry eyes, dry mouth, fatigue, bone disease or high cholesterol
			 or it may be asymptomatic (no symptoms). Without treatment, cirrhosis
			 and liver failure could occur.
		
    
	
    3. 
	
  3. 
		
    
			Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Known to cause inflammation and scarring of the bile ducts which can prevent
			 bile from passing through. Consistent with other autoimmune liver diseases,
			 symptoms could be nonexistent or linked to symptoms like itching or jaundice.
			 A frequent association is found with IBS (inflammatory bowel disease).
			 Complications of PSC involve cancers of the liver, bile duct and gallbladder
			 in addition to biliary infections and cirrhosis.
		
    
	
    4. 




	Primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis are also the
	 two most common chronic
	cholestatic liver diseases affecting adults. This term comes from cholestasis, a liver disease which
	 occurs when the flow of bile from the liver is reduced or blocked. Causes
	 of this are divided into two groups: within the liver and outside the
	 liver. Regardless of the cause, if left untreated cholestasis will lead
	 to fibrosis, biliary cirrhosis and finally, end-stage liver disease.



Diagnosis & Treatment


Patients with these conditions are often misdiagnosed or worse, go undiagnosed
	 due to the complex presentations of these diseases. In some cases, there
	 is an overlap between these conditions, adding to the complicated nature
	 of achieving a correct and thorough diagnosis.


Methodist Transplant Specialists offer an expert-level, multidisciplinary
	 approach to diagnosing and treating these diseases. Blood testing is most
	 often the first diagnostic step due to the fact that patients do not often
	 present with symptoms until their disease has progressed to cirrhosis
	 or liver failure.


In addition, our team may have you undergo diagnostic imaging of your liver
	 and if necessary a liver biopsy.


The treatment for these autoimmune liver diseases are varied and depend
	 on your exact diagnosis:


    
	
  • 
		
    Autoimmune liver disease treatment is aimed at suppressing an overactive
			 immune system
    
	
    • 
	
  • 
		
    PBC treatment will focus on improving the flow of bile
    
	
    • 
	
  • 
		
    Currently, their is active clinical research on therapies for PSC
    
	
    • 
	
  • 
		
    Advanced autoimmune liver disease may require a liver transplant
    
	
    • 



Due to the fact that patients with autoimmune disease often have increased
	 risk for autoimmune liver disease, our team at Methodist Transplant Specialists
	 will coordinate all medical and clinical histories, diagnostic results
	 and any other relevant information to ensure you receive a proper diagnosis.