Autoimmune Hepatitis Types

The three types of autoimmune hepatitis are type 1, type 2, and type 3. Type 1 autoimmune hepatitis is the most common form of the disease in North America; and 80 percent of people who have it are women. Type 2 is less common than type 1 and mostly affects children ages 2 to 14. Type 3 autoimmune hepatitis, similar to type 1, affects mostly women. All three autoimmune hepatitis types are treated in the same way -- with daily doses of the corticosteroid prednisone.

 

An Overview of Autoimmune Hepatitis Types

 Autoimmune hepatitis is classified as type 1, type 2, or type 3.
 
Type 1 is the most common form of autoimmune hepatitis in North America. It can occur at any age and is more common among women than men (about 80 percent of people who have it are women). About half of those people with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis have other autoimmune disorders, such as:
 

 

Type 2 autoimmune hepatitis is less common than type 1. It typically affects children ages 2 to 14, though adults can have it too. About 90 percent of people with type 2 autoimmune hepatitis are girls. It appears to be more common in Mediterranean populations.
 
Other conditions that may also present with type 2 autoimmune hepatitis include:
 
Type 3 presents similar to type 1 autoimmune hepatitis. Most people with this type of autoimmune hepatitis are women and about half have another autoimmune condition. Type 3 differs from type 1 by which autoantibodies are present when the condition is diagnosed.
 
(Autoimmune Hepatitis Types Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD