Aetiologies and Pathophysiology of chronic liver disease Flashcards
What is chronic liver disease?
Duration greater than 6 months
Outcome - progression to cirrhosis
Pathology - recurrent inflammation and repair with fibrosis and regeneration
Name some causes of chronic liver disease?
Alcohol Hep C Primary biliary cirrhosis Autoimmune hepatitis Hep B NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease)
What can chronic liver disease lead to?
Cirrhosis
What is NAFLD?
Fatty liver or stet-hepatitis in absence of other cause
Describe the 2 hit paradigm pathogenesis of NAFLD?
First hit - excess fat accumulation
Second hit - intrahepatic oxidative stress, lipid per oxidation, TNF-alpha, cytokine cascade
Describe how you might treat simple steatosis?
Diagnosis by ultrasound No liver outcomes Increased cardiovascular risks Treatment ***Weight loss & exercise
How would you treat NASH (non alcoholic steatohepatitis)?
Diagnosis at present by liver biopsy Risk of progression to cirrhosis Treatment ***Weight loss & exercise Other treatments experimental
Name some auto-immune liver diseases?
Primary biliary cholangitis Auto-immune hepatitis Primary sclerosing cholangitis Alcohol related liver disease Drug reactions
What does auto-immune mean?
relating to disease caused by antibodies or lymphocytes produced against substances naturally present in the body.
Describe the presentation of PBC?
Middle ages women
Usually asymptomatic
Fatigue
Itch without a rash
Xanthesalmas and xanthomas
How do you diagnose PBC?
2 of 3 of….
Positive AMA
Cholestatic LFTs
Liver biopsy
What is the treatment for PBC?
Urseodeoxycholic acid
Who is more likely to develop auto-immune hepatitis?
Women
Roughly how many people will develop cirrhosis from auto-immune hepatitis?
40%
Describe type 1 auto-immune hepatitis?
Females more common
Assoc with extra hepatic manifestions