OBJECTIVE To study the reliability of serum hyaluronic acid (HA) as a non-invasive method for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis and its relationship to liver biopsy findings. METHODS In a prospective controlled clinical trial, 48 patients with chronic liver disease were selected from Pediatric Departments, Al-Jedaany and Al-Hayat Hospitals, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from November 2005 to...

BACKGROUND Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) has been reported to show considerable geographical variation in frequency and clinical manifestations. It is considered a rare cause of liver disease in India. The present study was undertaken to determine the incidence, clinical, biochemical and histological profile of AIH in this part of the world. METHODS Patients presenting with acute or chronic live...

INTRODUCTION Q fever is a zoonotic infection that may cause severe hepatitis. Q-fever hepatitis has not yet been associated with autoimmune hepatitis and/or primary biliary cirrhosis. CASE PRESENTATION We describe a 39-year-old man of Sri Lankan origin with chronic Q-fever hepatitis who developed autoantibodies compatible with autoimmune hepatitis/primary biliary cirrhosis overlap syndrome. U...

INTRODUCTION Chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids is a brainstem disorder characterized by perivascular pathologic reaction with lymphocyte infiltration and leading to diplopia, facial palsy, dysarthria, and gait ataxia. It was thought to be an autoimmune disorder without distinct pathogenesis. Chronic hepatitis B virus infection has been...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Chronic hepatitis C virus infection often has autoimmune clinical and analytic features. This review analyzes recent data on the close association of chronic hepatitis C virus infection with autoimmune and lymphoproliferative processes. RECENT FINDINGS Hepatitis C virus infection has been associated with both organ-specific (thyroiditis, diabetes) and systemic autoimmune dis...

• Vol 10 • May 2008 390 Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic hepatitis of unknown etiology characterized by hyperglobulinemia, circulating antibodies and piecemeal necrosis on liver histology. There are only sporadic reports describing an association between autoimmune hepatitis and herbal medications [1]. Herbal remedies are among the most popular form of complementary treatments and are being ma...

INTRODUCTION Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 2 is a rare disorder. Its prevalence in western populations has been reported as 1.5 to 4.5/100,000. On the other hand, its prevalence in Egypt is unknown. It is characterized by the association of autoimmune Addison's disease with thyroid autoimmune diseases and/or type I diabetes mellitus. Hepatitis C virus infection is an important public h...