Autoimmune hepatitis is a disease in which the bodyâs immune system attacks liver cells of the same organism. This causes the liver to become inflamed, resulting in hepatitis.
1 Gene mutations that occur after birth. 2  Most gene mutations occur after you're born and aren't inherited. 3  A number of forces can cause gene mutations, such as smoking, radiation, viruses, cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens), obesity, hormones, chronic inflammation and a lack of exercise.
When a mutation alters a protein that plays a critical role in the body, it can disrupt normal development or cause a medical condition. A condition caused by mutations in one or more genes is called a genetic disorder. In some cases, gene mutations are so severe that they prevent an embryo from surviving until birth. These changes occur in genes that are essential for development, and often disrupt the development of an embryo in its earliest stages. Because these mutations have very serious effects, they are incompatible with life.