Apoptosis and progression of hepatic fibrosis in hepatitis C patients

Abstract

Hepatitis C is a worldwide endemic disease, affecting roughly 200 million people. It has a variable prognosis, depending on the progression to fibrosis. During the last five years, the importance of apoptosis for the pathogenesis of various diseases, including hepatitis, has been recognized. It has been suggested that an increase in T cell-apoptosis during a hepatitis C virus infection is the cause of impaired regulation of the immune cellular response, helping to maintain infection. Thus, the interest in discovering the probable mechanisms by which the hepatitis C virus perpetuates in the liver, and to determine the conditions that predispose for progression of this disease, makes investigation of apoptosis in hepatic injury of great interest. We have made an overview of the various mechanisms by which the cell, more specifically the hepatic cell, is affected by apoptosis, and how it interacts with the hepatitis C virus and the immune system.

Icaritin induces cell death in activated hepatic stellate cells through mitochondrial activated apoptosis and ameliorates the development of liver fibrosis in rats

“…During liver injury, regardless of the etiology of the injury, HSCs become activated and trans-differentiate into myofibroblast-like cells that are characterized by enhanced proliferation, loss of the capability to store vitamin A, expression of ␣-smooth muscle actin (␣-SMA), and overproduction of ECM (Friedman, 2008a,b). A large volume of evidence supports the importance of apoptosis of HSCs in regression of liver fibrosis as well as reduction of liver collagen (Schinoni and Paraná, 2006). Therefore, in addition to inhibiting HSC activation, inducing apoptosis of HSCs might be a new therapeutic strategy against liver fibrosis (Bataller and Brenner, 2001;Kisseleva and Brenner, 2007).…”

Novel Laboratory Tests in Assessment of Liver Function in Acute and Chronic Liver Diseases

“…The physiological process of apoptosis (programmed cell death) can be transformed into a pathological process, which can stimulate hepatic fibrosis, e.g. in hepatitis C, or can contribute to treatment failure (Schinoni et al, 2006). Over the last years, the importance of apoptosis for the pathogenesis of various diseases has been extensively investigated.…”