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Autoimmune Liver Diseases pp 127–136Cite as

Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis-Autoimmune Hepatitis Overlap

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Abstract

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients are often positive for antinuclear antibodies (ANA). Moreover, patients with ANA-positive NASH often meet the criteria for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). However, ANA in NASH is thought to be an epiphenomenon of NASH. Other patients have typical histological finding of both NASH and AIH in addition to meeting the criteria for both individually. This condition is referred to as having “NASH-AIH overlap,” although the disease concept has not been established and the pathogenesis of AIH remains to be elucidated. However, some drugs are suspected of triggering AIH onset and these include statins that are often used to treat NASH. Furthermore, corticosteroids that comprise standard treatment for AIH also induce secondary NASH. Therefore, medication history should be confirmed before diagnosing NASH-AIH overlap.

The pathophysiological ranges of NASH and AIH are wide and thus, clinical findings of both NASH and AIH can coexist. NASH-AIH overlap should be clinically treated as coexisting AIH and NASH regardless of whether or not each is an independent disease entity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan

    Atsushi Takahashi, Kazumichi Abe & Hiromasa Ohira

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  1. Atsushi Takahashi
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  2. Kazumichi Abe
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  3. Hiromasa Ohira
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Correspondence to Atsushi Takahashi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Gastroenterology & Rheumatology, Fukushima Medical University of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan

    Hiromasa Ohira

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Takahashi, A., Abe, K., Ohira, H. (2014). Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis-Autoimmune Hepatitis Overlap. In: Ohira, H. (eds) Autoimmune Liver Diseases. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54789-1_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54789-1_10

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