Clinical characteristics of autoimmune liver diseases in Vietnamese patients

Abstract

Background: Autoimmune liver diseases (ALD) consist of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and overlapping syndrome. These are rare disorders that are assumed to belong to only Western countries; data from Eastern, particularly developing Asian countries, is currently lacking.

Aim: The purpose of this study is to describe the serologic spectrum, autoimmunologic profile, and clinical features of Vietnamese patients with ALD in Hanoi. The results are compared to data from previous research conducted in Western areas and other Asia-Pacific countries.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in two hospitals in Vietnam from 2021 to 2024. The following parameters were recorded when analyzing the medical records of all 32 patients: the patient's demographic data, clinical history at presentation, and findings of laboratory and serologic testing—not only the biochemistry but also the immunologic profile at the time of diagnosis.

Results: The total number of ALD patients in the study was 32, including 31.25% with AIH (n=10), 68.75% with PBC (n=22), and no patients with PSC and overlapping syndrome. Most were female and within middle age (51 years in the AIH group and 49 years in the PBC group). Fatigue, loss of appetite, and jaundice were the most reported symptoms in both groups. Depending on the pattern of ALD, the more serology antibodies were positive, the more accurately ALD was diagnosed in comparison to positive single antibody cases.

Conclusion: Our study found that most ALD cases in Vietnam were middle-aged females with PBC or AIH with nonspecific symptoms. Further long-term studies investigating the epidemiology and prognosis of ALD in Vietnam is needed.