As the infection worsens alcohol hepatitis C
Contact: John Ascenzi hospital Ascenziemail.chop.edu 2155907332 Children in Philadelphia, studies shed light on the hepatic cell researchers in immunology diseases have shown that alcohol promotes the proliferation of hepatitis C in cells human liver. By studying the molecular mechanisms in cell cultures, they help to explain the role of alcohol in aggravating hepatitis C and interfere with the drug treatment of the infection. about 170 million people worldwide infected, the virus of hepatitis C is a major cause of liver disease in the United States.It was already known that habitual alcohol drinkers, higher blood levels of hepatitis C virus were compared to the rare drinkers, even if both are infected with the virus, said Wenzhen Ho, MD, director of retroviral research at
The Childrens Hospital Philadelphia, led the research team. We investigated how alcohol affects the hepatitis C virus at the cellular level. Our study provides a biological mechanism to support clinical observations. The study appears in the July issue of Hepatology.The researchers found that alcohol increases the activity of a protein called nuclear factor kappa B, causing the hepatitis C virus to replicate, or produce multiple copies of itself. The protein is an important regulator of cellular gene products involved in inflammation. Furthermore, they found that alcohol interferes with the antiviral activity of interferon alpha, a key to the treatment of patients with hepatitis C. The third finding that could ultimately have implications for patients, has been used as
naltrexone, a drug for the treatment of patients with alcoholism may help prevent relapse, the negative effects of alcohol in the block for the Advancement of hepatitis C.The current research builds on earlier research by the team at Childrens Hospital, so that morphine stimulated also found hepatitis C virus in liver cells by the same mechanisms as those with alcohol. Both alcohol and morphine activate opioid systems
Pages: [1] 2 3