Autoimmune hepatitis complicated with antiphospholipid syndrome in pregnancy

PROBLEM: There are few reports on the association between autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and antiphospholipid syndrome; only five reports were found on a MEDLINE search between 1966 and 2001. Therefore, the etiology and the optimal treatment of them are not clear. METHOD OF STUDY: We encountered a case of AIH complicated by antiphospholipid syndrome in pregnancy. We present the clinical course and treatment of this case, and discuss some problems in managing such a patient. RESULTS: The patient received low-dose prednisolone and low-dose aspirin and delivered a live-born infant at term without any adverse effects. CONCLUSION: In this case, there was no relation between the variation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and the one of beta2-glycoprotein I (GPI)-dependent anticardiolipin antibody. It is supposed that there was no relation between the activity of AIH and the one of antiphospholipid syndrome, and it is also supposed that one is not secondary to the other.