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Toxic Responses of the Liver
Published in Stephen K. Hall, Joana Chakraborty, Randall J. Ruch, Chemical Exposure and Toxic Responses, 2020
Cholestasis is defined as a reduction of bile formation or impaired secretion of specific bile components. It is not necessarily associated with hepatocyte death, but may be the result of hepatocellular injury or death. Cholestasis can also occur following injury to bile duct cells or blockage of bile ducts. Several toxic agents can induce cholestasis through these mechanisms. Methylene dianiline is one agent that injures bile duct cells and causes cholestasis. Associated with cholestasis is a phenomenon known as jaundice in which the skin and eyes of the affected individual appear yellowish due to the accumulation of bilirubin. Normally the liver degrades hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying pigment of red blood cells, to a yellowish compound called bilirubin which is excreted with the bile. When bile secretion or flow is reduced, bilirubin accumulates in blood and tissues such as the skin.
Microbiological Quality of Environmental Samples
Published in Maria Csuros, Csaba Csuros, Klara Ver, Microbiological Examination of Water and Wastewater, 2018
Maria Csuros, Csaba Csuros, Klara Ver
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the causating agent of infectious hepatitis. After a typical entrance via the oral route, the hepatitis virus multiplies in the intestinal tract and then spreads to the liver, kidney, and spleen. The virus is shed in the feces and can also be detected in blood and in urine. Recent studies indicate that the virus might also be carried in oral secretions. The virus probably survives for several days on surfaces such as cutting boards. The hepatitis A virus is very resistant to disinfectants such as chlorine at the concentration used in drinking water systems. Oysters that live in contaminated waters are also a good source of the infection. The incubation time of two to six weeks makes it difficult to find the source of infection. The symptoms are loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, fever, and, in some cases, jaundice, with the yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes and dark urine which is typical of liver infections. Persons at risk for exposure to the virus and travelers in high risk areas can be given immunoglobulin which gives protection for several months.
Tests on Naturally Voided Body Fluids
Published in Robert B. Northrop, Non-Invasive Instrumentation and Measurement in Medical Diagnosis, 2017
Jaundice is a condition where the skin, mucous membranes, whites of the eye, etc. turn yellow because of an excess of bilirubin in the blood. The presence of jaundice can signal one of two conditions: (1) The rate of red cell destruction is sufficiently above normal (hemolytic jaundice) so that the normal hepatocytes cannot keep up with the conversion of the bilirubin–albumin complex in the blood to bilirubin, thence to bile; (2) In obstructive jaundice, there may be damage to the hepatocytes from some form of hepatitis (viral, chemical), or the bile ducts may be blocked by bile stones or a cancer. Because of the blockage, bile ducts may rupture and the circulating bilirubin is now of the conjugated form. In the disease malaria, jaundice can be from both damaged hepatocytes and ruptured erythrocytes.
Non-invasive and non-contact automatic jaundice detection of infants based on random forest
Published in Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering: Imaging & Visualization, 2023
Fatema-Tuz-Zohra Khanam, Ali Al-Naji, Asanka G. Perera, Danyi Wang, Javaan Chahl
Jaundice or hyperbilirubinemia is defined as the yellow discoloration of the skin and sclera of the eyes due to an excess level of bilirubin (Dzulkifli et al. 2018). Generally, jaundice is noticeable when serum bilirubin level exceeds 2.0 mg/dl in the blood (Puppalwar 2012). Bilirubin is a water-soluble tetrapyrrolic yellowish pigment that is present in the blood and whose excess accumulation in the skin results in neonatal jaundice symptoms (Ansong-Assoku and Ankola 2018). Bilirubin is created due to the breakdown of old red blood cells. In the human body, new red blood cells are produced, and old ones are broken down continuously. In an adult, the red blood cells survive for about 120 days; however, in a newborn infant, they survive for a significantly shorter time. Hence, newborns have higher than average quantities of red blood cells, which leads to excess bilirubin level due to the breakdown of more red blood cells (Ansong-Assoku and Ankola 2018). Normally, the damaged blood cells that produce bilirubin are metabolised by the liver for excretion. Later, bilirubin is secreted through urine and bile (Chee et al. 2018). Short-term excess of bilirubin is mostly harmless and self-limiting. But a high level of bilirubin in newborn infants is neurotoxic and can permanently damage the brain, which is called kernicterus. It may cause cerebral palsy, deafness or hearing loss, language difficulties, and developmental delay or can be fatal in the worst cases (Ullah et al. 2016; Chee et al. 2018).