Table 1.
Baseline and autoimmune characteristics of the population.
| Variables | Total (N = 460) |
|---|---|
| Demographics | |
| Female sex | 227 (49) |
| Age (years) | 58 (51–64) |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 33 (30–37) |
| Current low-risk alcohol use∗ | 94 (20) |
| Current smoking | 57 (12) |
| Comorbidities | |
| Arterial hypertension | 281 (61) |
| Dyslipidemia | 273 (59) |
| Type 2 diabetes mellitus | 269 (58) |
| Obesity (BMI >30 kg/m2) | 331 (72) |
| Hypothyroidism | 64 (14) |
| Extrahepatic malignancies† | 56 (12) |
| Immune-mediated diseases‡ | 108 (23) |
| Bariatric surgery | 55 (12) |
| Blood tests | |
| AST (IU/L) | 43 (30–66) |
| ALT (IU/L) | 55 (35–86) |
| GGT (IU/L) | 74 (43–147) |
| ALP (IU/L) | 89 (70–111) |
| Bilirubin (mg/dl) | 0.65 (0.5–0.9) |
| Albumin (g/L) | 44 (42–46) |
| Platelets ( × 109) | 211 (159–259) |
| INR | 1.03 (0.97–1.09) |
| ANA | |
| ≥1/40 | 135 (29) |
| ≥1/80 | 78 (17) |
| ≥1/160 | 49 (11) |
| ASMA | |
| ≥1/40 | 114 (25) |
| ≥1/80 | 45 (10) |
| ≥1/160 | 20 (4) |
| Positive ANA or ASMA§ | 156 (34) |
| Positive ANA and ASMA | 36 (8) |
| IgG ≥ULN¶ | 63 (14) |
| Gamma globulins ≥ ULN | 94 (20) |
| Liver biopsy | |
| Steatosis | |
| No | 25 (5) |
| Low | 210 (46) |
| Moderate | 159 (34) |
| Severe | 66 (14) |
| Ballooning | |
| No | 182 (40) |
| Moderate | 190 (41) |
| Severe | 88 (19) |
| Lobular inflammation | |
| No | 117 (25) |
| ≤2 foci | 274 (60) |
| 2–4 foci | 66 (14) |
| ≥4 foci | 3 (1) |
| NAS score | 3 (2–4) |
| Fibrosis | |
| F0 | 80 (17) |
| F1 | 104 (23) |
| F2 | 70 (15) |
| F3 | 113 (25) |
| F4 | 93 (20) |
| Interface hepatitis | 87 (19) |
| Portal inflammation | |
| Low | 270 (59) |
| Moderate to severe | 53 (12) |
| Plasma cells | 48 (10) |
| “2022-AIH score”∗∗ | |
| Unlikely AIH | 423 (92) |
| Possible AIH | 37 (8) |
| Baseline transient elastography | |
| Liver stiffness (kPa) | 11.4 (9–17) |
| CAP (dB/m) | 330 (299–361) |
| Liver assessment | |
| Baseline cACLD (n = 356)†† | 117 (33) |
Qualitative variables are presented as n (%), and quantitative variables are presented as median (IQR).
AIH, autoimmune hepatitis; ALP, alkaline phosphatase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; ANA, antinuclear antibodies; ASMA, anti-smooth muscle antibodies; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; cACLD, compensated advanced chronic liver disease; CAP, controlled attenuation parameter; GGT, gamma-glutamyl transferase; IgG, immunoglobulin G; INR, international normalized ratio; NAS, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score; ULN, upper limit of normal.
Low-risk alcohol use was defined as <20 g/day in women and <30 g/day in men.
Extrahepatic malignancies: 21 (4.5%) gynecological (uterus, breast, and prostate), 13 (2.8%) gastrointestinal, 7 (1.5%) urinary (kidney and bladder), 8 (1.7%) hematologic, 7 (1.5%) skin and bone, 1 (0.2%) central nervous system, and 1 (0.2%) upper airway.
Immune-mediated diseases: 42 (9%) psoriasis, 12 (2.6%) thyroidal disease, 11 (2.3%) extrinsic asthma, 11 (2.4%) inflammatory bowel disease, 9 (1.9%) hidradenitis, 5 (1%) spondyloarthropathies, 3 (0.6%) vitiligo, 1 (0.2%) rheumatoid arthritis, and 18 (4%) others.
ANA ≥1/80 and ASMA ≥1/40 were considered positive.
The definition of ULN was different according to every center’s threshold: Hospital Clinic Barcelona: IgG ≥15.3 g/L and gamma globulin ≥18.8%; Hospital Vall d’Hebron: IgG ≥16 g/L and gamma globulin ≥18.8%; Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla: IgG ≥14.8 g/L and gamma globulin ≥18.8%; and Hospital Ramón y Cajal: IgG ≥16 g/L and gamma globulin ≥17%.
According to the consensus recommendations for histological criteria of AIH from the International AIH Pathology Group.30
Baseline cACLD was defined based on liver biopsy when F4 or F3 with liver stiffness ≥15 kPa.