Diagnosis for Autoimmune Hepatitis:
AIH can be easily confused with other illnesses. Symptoms are very similar to those of viral hepatitis. To make a proper diagnosis, blood testing is required to:
rule out viral hepatitis
determine the type of AIH you have
check your liver function
Blood tests are also used to measure the levels of specific antibodies in your blood. Antibodies associated with AIH include:
anti-smooth muscle antibody
anti-liver kidney microsome type I antibody
anti-nuclear antibody
Blood tests can also measure the amount of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in your blood. IgG antibodies help the body fight infection and inflammation. A liver biopsy may sometimes be necessary to diagnose AIH, and can reveal the type and severity of your liver damage and inflammation. A biopsy will involve removing a small piece of your liver tissue with a long needle and sending it to a laboratory for testing.