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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffFactors that may increase your risk of autoimmune hepatitis include:
- Being female. Although both men and women can develop autoimmune hepatitis, the disease is far more common in women.
- Age. Type 1 autoimmune hepatitis can occur at any age. Type 2 primarily affects young girls.
- A history of certain infections. Autoimmune hepatitis may develop after a bacterial or viral infection.
- Use of certain medications. Certain medications, such as the antibiotic minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin, others) and the cholesterol medication atorvastatin (Lipitor), have been linked to autoimmune hepatitis.
- Heredity. Evidence suggests that a predisposition to autoimmune hepatitis may run in families.
- Having an autoimmune disease. People who already have an autoimmune disease may be more likely to develop autoimmune hepatitis.
References
- Czaja AJ, et al. Advances in the diagnosis, pathogenesis, and management of autoimmune hepatitis. Gastroenterology. 2010;139:58.
- Krawitt EL. Pathogenesis of autoimmune hepatitis. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Feb. 9, 2012.
- Manns MP, et al. Diagnosis and management of autoimmune hepatitis. Hepatology. 2010;51:1.
- Autoimmune hepatitis. National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/autoimmunehep/. Accessed Feb. 9, 2012.
- McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2012. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=1. Accessed Feb. 16, 2012.
- Luxon BA. Diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune hepatitis. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America. 2008;37:461.
- Mieli-Vergani G, et al. Autoimmune hepatitis. Nature Reviews. Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2011;8:320.
- Greenberger NJ, et al, eds. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Endoscopy. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=6204532. Accessed Feb. 16, 2012.
- Teufel A, et al. Concurrent autoimmune diseases in patients with autoimmune hepatitis. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 2010;44:208.
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