Auto-immune hepatitis is a chronic necroinflammatory liver disorder that is characterized by hypergammaglobulinemia, auto-antibodies in serum, and, on histological examination, the presence of periportal hepatitis. Although it can be associated with a number of other auto-immune diseases, Sjogren's syndrome is rarely associated with auto-immune hepatitis. We herein report an unusual case of auto-immune hepatitis associated with primary Sjogren's syndrome. A 39-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to jaundice. Laboratory data showed negative viral hepatitis marker, increased serum IgG level, positive anti- nuclear antibody, and an increased rheumatoid factor titer. The patient had no history of taking medications and alcohol. Based on characteristic clinical features, liver biopsy findings, positive Schirmer's test, and salivary scintigraph, she was diagnosed as having auto-immune hepatitis and Sjogren's syndrome. The patient achieved complete remission with steroid monotherapy.
Adult ; Hepatitis, Autoimmune/*complications/diagnosis ; Humans ; Sjogren's Syndrome/*complications/diagnosis

Autoantibodies ; blood ; Cholangitis, Sclerosing ; complications ; diagnosis ; Hepatitis, Autoimmune ; complications ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary ; complications ; diagnosis

Autoantibodies ; Cholangitis, Sclerosing ; complications ; diagnosis ; Hepatitis, Autoimmune ; complications ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary ; complications ; diagnosis ; Syndrome

Hepatitis B ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurosyphilis ; complications ; diagnosis ; Optic Neuritis ; complications ; diagnosis

No abstract available.
Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/*complications ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/*diagnosis ; Male

OBJECTIVETo explore the similarity between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes and clinical symptoms and biological parameters in patients with post-hepatitis cirrhosis (PHC).

METHODSAfter the variants had been normalized, 4 methods for similarity analysis, i.e. method of cosine distance, correlation coefficient, D and spectral similarity, were used to analyze the similarity of clinical characteristic information (symptoms), biological parameters and TCM syndromes obtained from 279 patients with PHC.

RESULTSThe corresponding similarity matrixes were used to reflect the similarity between TCM syndromes and symptoms and biological parameters respectively, results obtained by the 4 methods were basically identical. As compared with the traditional correlation coefficient analysis, the other three methods showed a higher level of matching, sensitivity, rationality in quantitative accepting-rejecting and reliability, and were more accordant with clinical practice.

CONCLUSIONThe resemblance between TCM syndromes and clinical information on disease obtained from similarity analysis is basically in accordance with the clinical practice, so, the technique could be taken as a method for finding the characteristics of TCM syndrome with simplified clinical parameters.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic necroinflammatory liver disease of unknown cause associated with circulating autoantibodies and high serum globulin level. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disease of unknown etiology in which tissues and cells are damaged by pathogenic autoantibodies and immune complex, affecting multiple organs including the liver, kidney, and CNS. The difference between the hepatic involvement of SLE and autoimmune hepatitis has not been clearly defined in the past due to similarities in clinical and biochemical features. A scoring system for the diagnosis of AIH has been established, and AIH and SLE-associated hepatitis have been defined as two different entities, although both have the same autoimmune features such as polyarthralgia, hypergammaglobulinemia and circulating autoantibodies. AIH has been considered to occur infrequently in SLE. We report two cases of AIH which simultaneously satisfied the criteria of SLE.
Adult ; Female ; Hepatitis, Autoimmune/*complications/diagnosis ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/*complications/diagnosis ; Middle Aged

Cholangitis, Sclerosing ; complications ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Hepatitis, Autoimmune ; complications ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary ; complications ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Syndrome

Many studies have suggested that occult HBV infection has a substantial clinical relevance to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Occult HBV infection is an important risk factor for the development of cirrhosis and HCC in patients without HBsAg. As a matter of fact, occult HBV infection is one of the most common causes of crytogenic HCC in endemic areas of HBV. However, there still are controversial issues about the association between occult HBV infection and HCC according to the underlying liver disease. In alcoholic cirrhosis, occult HBV infection may exert synergistic effect on the development of HCC. However, there is insufficient evidence to relate occult HBV infection to hepatocarcinogenesis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In cryptogenic HCC, occult HBV infection may play a direct role in the development of HCC. In order to elucidate the assocciation between occult HBV infection and HCC, underlying liver disease must be specified and larger number of cases must be included in future studies.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*complications/*diagnosis/epidemiology ; DNA, Viral/analysis ; Hepatitis/complications ; Hepatitis B/*complications/*diagnosis/epidemiology ; Hepatitis B virus/genetics ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic/complications ; Liver Neoplasms/*complications/*diagnosis/epidemiology ; Risk Factors

Child ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Glomerulonephritis ; complications ; diagnosis ; therapy ; virology ; Guidelines as Topic ; Hepatitis B ; complications ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans