Hepatic stellate cell activation and hepatic fibrosis in children with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis: an immunohistochemical study of paired liver biopsies before treatment and after clinical remission.

Objectives: The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) is considered the most important event in hepatic fibrogenesis. The precise mechanism of this process is unknown in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), and more evidence is needed on the evolution of fibrosis. The aim of this study was to assess these aspects in children with type 1 AIH.