Abstract: Objective This study aimed to investigate the impacting factors in response to immunosuppressive therapy in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).Methods A total of 68 patients with AIH were enrolled in our hospital between January 2015 and October 2018, including 18 males and 50 females, with an average age of (52.8±11.1) years old. All patients with AIH received standardized prednisone and azathioprine therapy for 24 months. All patients underwent twice liver biopsies before and after treatment, and blood mean platelet volume (MPV) and serum globulin level were detected. The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were applied to analyze the predictive factors that impact the poor response of patients with AIH to immunosuppressive treatment.Results At the end of two year treatment, 42(61.8%)out of the 68 patients with AIH in our series obtained complete response (CR) to immunosuppressive therapy; at presentation, the MPV, serum γ-globulin, albumin (ALB), total serum bilirubin, prothrombin time international normalized ratio (INR) and serum creatinine(sCr) levels were (8.5±2.0)fL, (23.8±5.2)%, (40.0±1.3)g/L, (23.4±3.9)μmol/L, (1.0±0.3) and (80.6±10.3)μmol/L, all significantly different compared to [(10.3±2.3)fL,(33.1±7.1)%, (30.1±0.9)g/L, (36.2±5.3)μmol/L, (1.4±0.7) and (135.0±12.5)μmol/L, respectively, P<0.05], the percentage of liver cirrhosis in patients with CR was 11.9%, much lower than 54.2%(P<0.05) in nonresponders; We took the response of patients with AIH after treatment as dependent variable, assigning 0=CR, 1=poor response, establishing a multivariate Logistic regression analysis model, and included the above-mentioned statistically significant factors such as MPV, γ-globulin, albumin, bilirubin, INR, sCr and liver cirrhosis into the Logistic regression model. The Logistic regression analysis showed that serum γ-globulin, albumin, MPV and liver cirrhosis were the independent predictors of poor response to immunosuppressive therapy in patients with AIH (P<0.05).Conclusion The patients with AIH might failed to immunosuppressive therapy, and elevated MPV, high γ-globulinemia and low serum albumin levels or even liver cirrhosis are the independent predictors of poor response. Further clinical trials are needed for these patients in order to get a best treatment strategy.

Key words: Autoimmune hepatitis, Prednisone, Azathioprine, Mean platelet volume, Therapy, Response