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 disc… Show more
“…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).…”
“…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).…”
“…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.…”
Section: Novel Laborarory Tests In Assessment Of Liver Function In Acmentioning
Novel Laboratory Tests in Assessment of Liver Function in Acute and Chronic Liver Diseases
Liver biopsy in clinical practice has been widely used for the diagnosis and management of patients with liver diseases, particularly, with chronic liver diseases. However, liver biopsy is an invasive method with potential complications, sampling and interpretation errors. Therefore, noninvasive tests are being developed and introduced to replace liver biopsy. The aim of the present study was to identify the new noninvasive methods to be used for the assessment of liver structure and function, by use of the appropriate serum surrogate markers and to evaluate the clinical diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of these methods, including immunogenetic methods, in cases of acute and chronic liver diseases. The obtained data showed that serum markers of apoptosis (cytokeratin-18 neoepitope and citochrome c) and fibrosis (hyaluronic acid) should be included in viral and toxic liver damage management algorithms. The punctual identification of immunogenetic factors (HLA class II antigens) may prove to be useful in predicting disease evolution, and in guiding the appropriate therapy for patients with poor prognosis.
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