autoimmune hepatitis

Autoimmune hepatitis is a liver disease in which the body's own immune system attacks liver cells, as if they were disease-causing agents. This causes chronic inflammation of the liver, which if untreated can lead to permanent damage and scarring, also called liver cirrhosis. The exact cause is not always known, but the disease is more common in people who already have another autoimmune condition. Symptoms include fatigue, yellowing of the skin or eyes, and abdominal swelling, although the disease may initially cause few symptoms. This word appears in the context of liver diseases caused by an impaired immune system.