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Table 1 Major causes of chronic liver disease in man and dog

From: The immunopathogenetic role of autoantibodies in canine autoimmune hepatitis: lessons to learn from human autoimmune hepatitis

Cause

Man

Dog

Viruses

Yes (i.e., hepatitis B, C, D viruses, EBV, CMV, HSV-1)

Yes (i.e., CAV-1, herpes virus, canine acidophil cell virus hepatitisa)

Microbes

Yes (Listeria monocytogenes, Brucella mellitensis, Legionella pneumophila, Treponema pallidum, Helicobacter hepaticus)

Yes (Leishmania infantum, Ehrlichia canis, Corynebacterium parvum, Bartonella, Leptospirae, Helicobacter species) [79]

Toxins and drugs

 Ethanol

Yes

Non-applicable

 Immunosuppressants

Yes

Yes

 Anticonvulsants

Yes

Yes

Genetic diseases

 Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Yes

Yes (rarely reported)b [24]

Copper storage disease

Yes

Yes

Most commonly is Wilson disease caused by mutation in a gene on chromosome 13 that encodes for a P-type ATPase

Caused mainly by a mutation of MURR1 gene

Rarely other types of impaired copper excretion

Rarely other types [28]

Metabolic diseases

Yes (various, well studied as haemochromatosis, porphyrias)

Yes (Various, less extensively studied)

  1. EBV Epstein–Barr virus, CMV cytomegalovirus, HSV-1 herpes simplex virus-1, CAV-1 canine adenovirus
  2. aCanine acidophil cell virus hepatitis can cause chronic hepatitis characterized by fibrosis and hepatocellular necrosis but without severe inflammatory signs and progression to hepatocellular carcinoma [15]
  3. bCase reports with accumulation of two types of a-1 antitrypsin in the hepatocytes of dogs with CAH, although reduced a-1 antitrypsin levels was not present