In Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan, adult AIH-1 is associated with DRB1*04, DRB1*03 being very rare in the general population, thus potentially explaining the different AIH phenotype in East Asia, which is characterised by later onset and milder disease (14–16, 18, 23) (Table 1). Here, HLA-DRB1 is linked to autoimmune hepatitis.