Association of Q fever with Autoimmune Hepatitis

Human infection by Coxiella burnetii, a zoonosis, is associated with the development of autoantibodies, though the clinical significance of these is unclear. We describe two patients with high-titer Q fever antibodies associated with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) as demonstrated on biopsy and supported by autoantibody results. For one, the chronology of serologic results uniquely demonstrates the development of autoantibodies after Q fever antibodies were detected, providing supportive evidence that Coxiella burnetii infection may have been a trigger for autoimmune hepatitis.