ABSTRACT
The last decade has seen important advances in our knowledge of the diagnosis, natural history and treatment of non-viral-induced liver disease, including primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, haemochromatosis, Wilson’s disease, 1antitrypsin deficiency, alcoholic hepatitis, liver storage diseases, Budd-Chiari syndrome and drug-induced liver disease. Genes that cause hereditary liver disease have been discovered, including the gene for Wilson’s disease and haemochromatosis. Therapies to prevent disease or progression are well-established for Wilson’s disease, haemochromatosis and autoimmune hepatitis. As our understanding of the other liver diseases advances, so will further therapies be developed. We still have a long way to go, however, and many of the current therapies are aimed at symptom-control and treatment of complications rather than targeting the underlying disease process. Liver transplantation remains an essential therapy for end-stage disease.
