Autoimmune Liver Diseases

The Mount Sinai Medical Center is respected worldwide for its innovative research and state-of-the-art treatment for all forms of autoimmune liver diseases. These diseases include:

• Autoimmune hepatitis
• Primary biliary cirrhosis
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis

Autoimmune liver diseases occur when your immune system attacks your liver rather than foreign cells, such as viruses and bacteria. We treat the largest number of patients with autoimmune liver diseases in the New York State. As a result, we have extensive skill in managing these diseases.

Autoimmune liver diseases are typically chronic conditions. This means that patients may experience persistent immune system attacks that destroy liver cells over a period of years. As cells die, scar tissue known as fibrosis forms. Fortunately, autoimmune diseases tend to progress slowly. Many patients experience long periods without symptoms.

When fibrosis does become extreme and liver function is weakened, the condition is called cirrhosis. Also known as liver failure or end-stage liver disease, the only successful cure for this condition is organ transplantation. However, many individuals with cirrhosis can have their symptoms successfully managed with medication, avoiding the need for transplantation.

A large number of patients with autoimmune liver disease also have additional forms of autoimmunity. Liver specialists work closely with other experts at Mount Sinai to provide a comprehensive approach to treating multiple autoimmune conditions, thereby keeping immune system activity and symptoms under control.

Most patients with chronic autoimmune liver disease are managed successfully by Mount Sinai liver specialists and their colleagues in rheumatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, radiology, and pathology, using state of the art methods of diagnosis and treatment. However, when end-stage liver disease develops, liver transplantation may be required. Of note, those with cirrhosis due to autoimmune liver disease do particularly well after transplantation. Mount Sinai has had long experience in caring for hundreds of patients with autoimmune liver disease who have required liver transplantation after having lived many years with this chronic condition.