China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Liver Disease—Viral Hepatitis
Published in Charles Theisler, Adjuvant Medical Care, 2023
Hepatitis refers to inflammation of liver cells and damage to the liver. It encompasses a broad range of clinico -pathologic conditions resulting from viral, toxic (e.g., excessive alcohol, drugs, chemicals), or immune-mediated damage to the liver. There are five common types of hepatitis caused by viruses (A, B, C, D, and E), but the most common are A, B, and C. Each type has different characteristics and transmission happens in different ways, but the symptoms tend to be similar.1
The Viruses
Published in Julius P. Kreier, Infection, Resistance, and Immunity, 2022
Viral hepatitis is a common inflammatory disease of humans and a variety of animal species. A variety of viruses can cause hepatitis or infect the liver as part of their systemic spread and replication. The resulting pathologic lesions may be acute and transient as in Hepatitis A or result in chronic infections and persistent tissue damage (e.g., cirrhosis) or cancer (e.g., hepatocellular carcinoma) as in Hepatitis B infections. in animals the range of viral infections that cause infection or inflammation of the liver is broad and includes such examples as adenoviruses (infectious canine hepatitis), bunyaviruses (rift valley fever in sheep), and retroviruses (equine infectious anemia). In humans hepatitis is most commonly caused by one of five species of viruses named A, B, C, D, and E. However, as in animals the disease is caused by a variety of viruses with the common trait of hepatic tropism (Table 16.1).
Hepatitis A
Published in Vincenzo Berghella, Maternal-Fetal Evidence Based Guidelines, 2022
Rebecca Pierce-Williams, Neil Silverman, Steven K. Herrine, Danielle Tholey
Hepatitis A is usually transmitted through fecal-oral contact with infected persons or contaminated food and/or water. Most cases in the United States are directly transmitted through person-to-person or sexual contacts during outbreaks. The average incubation period is 28 (15–50) days, with peak infectivity 2 weeks prior to an abrupt symptom onset [9, 10]. HAV infection can be symptomatic (adults) but also asymptomatic (mostly children <6 years of age). The vast majority of cases are self-limited (1–2 weeks), though severe cases can last months [11]. Relapse can occur (up to 20% of cases), though the symptoms are often milder, and the average duration is 4.7 weeks, with reported durations up to 4 months [12]. Anti-HAV IgM usually appears 5–10 days before symptoms present, and can persist for 3–12 months [10].
Simple and feasible detection of hepatitis a virus using reverse transcription multienzyme isothermal rapid amplification and lateral flow dipsticks without standard PCR laboratory
Published in Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, 2023
Mao-ling Sun, Yang Zhong, Xiao-na Li, Jun Yao, Yu-qing Pan
HAV infection is a global public health problem. Around the world, 1.5 million people are infected with HAV each year, and the number of undiagnosed infections may reach tens of millions [11]. In China, hepatitis A outbreaks are a public health crisis, causing great panic and a huge shock to the economy. In 1988, 1.5 million people in Shanghai were infected by HAV transmitted by Scapharca subcrenata, with more than 300,000 presenting with symptoms [6]. In that year, the cost of free treatment for hepatitis patients far exceeded the health expenditure of Shanghai [12]. Because Hepatitis A often spreads through contaminated food and water, it can infect many people in a short time (a cluster outbreak) [13]. Therefore, a rapid, accurate, and economical diagnostic test for HAV is urgently needed to control hepatitis A epidemics, especially in resource-limited settings [14].
Microneedle technology for potential SARS-CoV-2 vaccine delivery
Published in Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, 2023
Megan McNamee, Shuyi Wong, Owen Guy, Sanjiv Sharma
Hepatitis is a category of infectious diseases caused by the Hepatitis virus, which can be contracted through sexual contact, or sharing/second use of needles [118]. The severity of this condition and the high prevalence (355 million people infected with Hepatitis B and C combined in 2021) warrant research into simplified modes of vaccination, improving accessibility and reducing needlestick injury risk [119]. Recently, Cuevas et al., utilized metal and dissolvable MN patches coated with antigen to immunize BALB/c mice and rhesus macaques, with both demonstrating immunogenicity with highly detectable levels of antibodies in the titer (above the 2 mIU/mL detection limit) [120]. Although this has the potential for greater sustainability, high penetration forces induced mechanical failure, potentially impacting the pain experienced upon administration [120].
S-Propargyl-cysteine prevents concanavalin A-induced immunological liver injury in mice
Published in Pharmaceutical Biology, 2022
Beilei Ma, Yicheng Mao, Lingling Chang, Tao Dai, Xiaoming Xin, Fenfen Ma, Zhijun Wang, Zhuqing Shen, Qibing Mei, Yizhun Zhu
The liver is an important organ and plays a key role in glucose, lipid, xenobiotic metabolism, and antioxidant defense (Mani et al. 2014). Various types of liver diseases, including inflammatory liver disease (hepatitis), plague human health. Hepatitis, which is mostly caused by a viral infection, alcohol addiction, side effects of certain drugs, or autoimmune disorders, possesses the major pathological feature of tissue infiltration with a large number of inflammatory factors. This infiltration leads to morphological deformation and function deficiency in the liver (Zenewicz et al. 2007). Hepatitis seriously threatens the patients′ health because the normal functions of the organ, such as producing bile for digestion, producing essential hormones, eliminating the toxins from the body, and controlling fat and cholesterol levels, are undermined. There are many kinds of hepatitis, and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an immune-mediated liver disease that has witnessed few major advances in treatment options over the last several decades. It barely has options for patients who are either refractory to or intolerant to standard therapy, which consists of prednisone and azathioprine. Thus, it is imperative to develop novel drugs and alternative strategies for AIH prevention and treatment.