Elsevier Autoimmune Liver Disease - Its Recent Advances: Proceedings of the International Symposium of Digestive Diseases Week, Hiroshima, Japan, 29-30 October 1999, ICS 1213 (International Congress)

Autoimmune liver disease is defined as immune-mediated chronic liver disease of unknown etiology. The forms of autoimmune liver disease include autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitits and an overlapping syndrome known as autoimmune cholangitis. These diseases were once considered to be rare. However, incidence of these diseases has increased with advanced of diagnostic techniques. During the past ten years, we have made enormous progress in understanding autoimmune mechanisms. Furthermore, new clinical and epidemiological studies have provided information that has changed our concept of autoimmune liver disease. This symposium was indeed a success due to the quality presentations by active researchers in the world.