Clinical features and biochemical data of Caucasian children at diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis

Objective Evaluation of systematic epidemiological data regarding clinical characteristics, sex distribution and autoantibody pattern in Caucasian children with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Study design Data of 142 children presenting with AIH (97 girls and 45 boys) have been analysed for their clinical, serological, and histological profile. Results Clinical findings were jaundice (58%), unspecific weakness (57%), anorexia (47%), abdominal pain (38%) and paleness (26%). One hundred and three children (73%) (68 girls, 35 boys, 1.9:1) had AIH type 1 and 35 patients (25%) (27 girls, 8 boys, 3.4:1) type 2 due to specific autoantibodies. Four children could not be classified. Histology of 122 children revealed active hepatitis in 64 (52%), cirrhosis in 46 (38%), and mild inflammatory activity in 12 individuals (10%). The most prevalent HLA type was B8. Conclusion In our cohort the prevalence of AIH was half as frequent in boys as in girls. Type 1 was the most frequent diagnosis (73%) and was more prevalent in older children. Type 2 was equally age distributed. The clinical presentation of AIH in children was unspecific and type I and type II could only be differentiated by the determination of the specific autoantibodies. Ninety percent of patients presented with high inflammatory activity or liver cirrhosis.