Autoimmune hepatitis in monozygotic twins – a case report

K. Weiss, C.V. Sousa, B. Knechtle

Medbase St. Gallen Am Vadianplatz, St. Gallen, Switzerland. beat.knechtle@hispeed.ch

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• Hepatology

OBJECTIVE: Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic liver disease caused by a dysfunctional immune system. It is widely believed that autoimmune hepatitis accumulates in families. We found that autoimmune hepatitis does accumulate in monozygotic twins.

CASE REPORT: We present middle-aged monozygotic female twins developing autoimmune hepatitis consecutively within two years. Both twins had developed Graves’ disease and were treated with carbimazole before the onset of autoimmune hepatitis. Both were cigarette smokers. The twins were treated with budesonide and azathioprine, which normalised liver parameters.

CONCLUSIONS: This case report supports the hypothesis that a genetic factor might be of great importance in the aetiology of autoimmune hepatitis.

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