• Margaret Corrigan, Gideon M Hirschfield, Ye H Oo, and David H Adams.
• NIHR Biomedical Research Unit and Centre for Liver Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
• Br. Med. Bull. 2015 Jun 1; 114 (1): 181-91.

IntroductionAutoimmune hepatitis is a chronic immune-mediated liver injury, frequently associated with progression to end-stage liver disease if untreated. Patients commonly present with hepatitis, positive immune serology, elevated immunoglobulins and compatible liver histology, in the absence of an alternative aetiology.Sources Of DataData for this review were obtained using PubMed.Areas Of AgreementDisease usually responds to steroids and azathioprine, and appears to be a manifestation of autoimmune predisposition triggered in genetically susceptible individuals exposed to likely environmental challenges. We provide an up-to-date approach to disease understanding and management along with the clinical approach to diagnosis and current treatment suggestions.Areas Of ControversyControversies such as second line therapies and novel markers of disease activity are introduced.Growing PointsIncreased understanding of the immunoregulatory mechanisms behind autoimmune hepatitis has led to opportunities for new therapies. These are developed including a discussion of timely research studies relevant to future therapies for patients.© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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