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The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the award to the three researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
The trio “made a crucial contribution to the fight against blood-borne hepatitis, an aggressive global health problem that causes cirrhosis (fatty liver) and liver cancer.
–He said The committee On twitter.
The American Harvey J. Alter was the first to show that hepatitis infected by blood transfusions is caused by a previously unknown virus. Britain’s Michael Houghton has isolated the virus genome with a new strategy. Final evidence for the discovery was provided by Charles M. Rice from the United States, who demonstrated that the hepatitis C virus alone can cause hepatitis.
One of the most prestigious scientific awards in the world has a prize of 10 million crowns (342 million guilders). Its amount has recently been raised to compensate for inflation.
A hepatitis C
The word hepatitis consists of the Greek word for liver, “hepar” and “inflammation” which means inflammation, which literally means inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis can be caused by various pathogens, but most of the time it is caused by a viral infection. Hepatitis C is an RNA virus that is often the cause of chronic hepatitis. The inflammation permanently and severely damages the cells of the liver, which makes the liver unable to perform its function after a while.
Cirrhosis of the liver, later liver cancer can develop.
Based on the literature, it is not clear whether the virus has a direct carcinogenic effect, but it most likely does. If the death of liver cells is such that the organ is unable to perform its function of detoxification and production of proteins (albumin, clotting factors), it means the death of the patient. Importantly, the hepatitis C virus not only multiplies in liver cells and not only attacks liver cells: it also infects lymphocytes, muscles, skin, and kidney cells.
Hepatitis C is very common!
According to the WHO, 170 million people are known to be infected worldwide. Africa, the eastern Mediterranean and the Pacific islands are particularly affected. There are around five million infected people in the European Union, but 80 per cent of them are probably only carriers and not sick. In Hungary, the proportion of virus carriers is between 0.7 and 1.3 percent, the disease is responsible for the development of cirrhosis in 2 to 4,000 Hungarian patients and 600 cases of liver cancer in Hungary. The pathogen spreads through body fluids, mainly blood, so a large percentage of patients exit drug use. We also know about infections with sperm and breast milk, but this is very rare. It can also be detected in saliva, sweat, and tears.
There is no vaccine, but the medication is effective. Prevention is very important!
The so-called genetic material. Due to its hypervariable region (constantly changing phase), no vaccine against it has been developed so far. Chronic diseases (beyond six months) are rarely cured without medical help and medications.
The last four years have seen an extraordinary change in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. The disease has become partially curable. Direct antiviral molecules (DAA) have been developed that specifically inhibit viral replication.
These oral tablets can also be used with common antiviral drugs, interferons, but without them they are even more effective – preparations without interferon lead to a 98 to 100 percent cure. They do not have significant side effects, they do not affect the quality of life of patients or their ability to work. In many cases, the duration of therapy is significantly shorter, which helps prevent the development of disability, end-stage liver disease, and liver cancer.
In the absence of treatment, the disease becomes chronic because the defense processes of the immune system and newer and newer variants of the virus constantly fight.
The presence of antibodies to HCV in the blood test does not protect against the disease.
It is not clear whether the cured hepatitis C develops immunity in the body.
Prevention is paramount: safe sex and not using drugs are the number one suggestion, according to doctors.
Symptoms
The virus becomes ill and causes symptoms similar to those of acute hepatitis after an incubation period of 2 to 25 weeks after infection:
- What number,
- liver ség,
- jaundice.
However, only less than 10 percent of those infected experience symptoms, and in most cases, the disease begins with symptoms of chronic hepatitis. The remaining 90 percent of patients remain infected and develop chronic hepatitis six months after infection. At this time, about a fifth of patients have liver cirrhosis, inflammation, and gradual cessation of liver function over a period of 15 to 20 years, and liver cancer can eventually develop.
(Cover image: Thomas Perlmann, Secretary General of the Nobel Committee (j) announces that the discovery of the hepatitis C virus by Harvey J. Alter (in projector b) and Charles M. Rice (in projector j) is an American scientist and Michael Houghton is a British scientist (in the projector)) will receive this year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology at a press conference in Stockholm on October 5, 2020 at the Royal Academy’s Nobel Prize in Medicine Swedish Science. Hepatitis is a major health problem around the world that can cause both cirrhosis and liver cancer, they added.
MTI / EPA / TT News Agency / Claudio Bresciani)
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