Hepatitis C

Hep C cases linked to NH hospital worker rise

(AP)—Five more people have been diagnosed with the same strain of hepatitis C a former traveling hospital worker is accused of spreading through tainted needles. The total is now 44 in four states.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Dec 21, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Hepatitis: The hidden hazard

(HealthDay)—Of all the diseases people worry about getting, viral hepatitis is usually way down on the list. Most often it's thought of as a disease that affects only drug addicts or the sexually promiscuous. ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Dec 21, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

One man's harrowing battle with hepatitis C

(HealthDay)—Ted Adamson's liver had been so ravaged by the hepatitis C virus that he was nearly at the point of needing a liver transplant. Yet he had no symptoms. None. He didn't even feel tired.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Dec 21, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Researchers discover how hepatitis C virus reprograms human liver cells

Hepatitis C virus has evolved to invade and hijack the basic machinery of the human liver cell to ensure its survival and spread. Researchers at the University of North have discovered how hepatitis C binds ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Dec 18, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers find clue to how Hepatitis C virus harms liver

Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have discovered a trigger by which the Hepatitis C virus enters liver cells ─ shedding light on how this serious and potentially deadly virus can begin to damage ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Dec 12, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Most people with hepatitis C go untreated, despite effective drugs

Just 20 percent of people infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) begin the recommended treatment regimen and less than 5 percent go on to successfully overcome the virus, according to a new review in General Ho ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Dec 10, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Aging hepatitis C population escalates demand for liver transplantation

New research reveals that the greatest demand for liver transplantation due to hepatitis C (HCV)-related liver disease occurs among Americans born between 1941 and 1960. Findings in the December issue of Liver Transplantation, a jour ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Dec 06, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Caution still advised despite ever-improving HIV drugs

Combination therapies for AIDS are becoming increasingly effective, but they cannot protect against other sexually transmitted illnesses. It is unsafe for patients taking antiretroviral drugs to stop using ...

HIV & AIDS created Nov 30, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Molecular root of 'exhausted' T cells in chronic viral infection

When you get an acute infection, such as influenza, the body generally responds with a coordinated response of immune-cell proliferation and attack that rapidly clears the pathogen. Then, their mission done, the immune system ...

Medical research created Nov 29, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

U.S. task force: Baby boomers should be tested for hepatitis C

(HealthDay)—A U.S. task force suggests that people at high risk for the hepatitis C virus should be screened, which includes those with a history of intravenous drug use and those who received blood transfusions ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Nov 26, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

MicroRNA makes triple-negative breast cancer homesick

Epithelial cells are homebodies – they like to attach to things and becoming detached initiates a form of cell suicide known as anoikis (literally "homeless" in Latin). But in order for cancer cells to metastasize they ...

Cancer created Nov 21, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Hepatitis C treatment's side effects can now be studied in the lab

(Medical Xpress)—The adverse side effects of certain hepatitis C medications can now be replicated and observed in Petri dishes and test tubes, thanks to a research team led by Craig Cameron, the Paul Berg ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Nov 16, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

A comparative medicine study identifies new approach to combat viral infections

When a virus such as influenza invades our bodies, interferon proteins are among the first immune molecules produced to fight off the attack. Interferon can also play a role in suppressing tumor growth and ...

Medical research created Nov 09, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Overcrowding in prisons negatively affects health

an issue in most prisons in Canada and other parts of the world—negatively impacts the mental and physical health of prisoners, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Health created Nov 05, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Inhibition of enzyme NOX4 prevents liver fibrosis

Researchers at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) have led a study published in PLoS One showing that the inhibition of a family member of NADPH oxidase enzyme, NOX4, plays an important role in liver fibros ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Nov 05, 2012 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0


Hepatitis C is an infectious disease affecting primarily the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years. In some cases, those with cirrhosis will go on to develop liver failure, liver cancer or life-threatening esophageal and gastric varices.

HCV is spread primarily by blood-to-blood contact associated with intravenous drug use, poorly sterilized medical equipment and transfusions. An estimated 130–170 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C. The existence of hepatitis C (originally "non-A non-B hepatitis") was postulated in the 1970s and proven in 1989. It is not known to cause disease in other animals.

The virus persists in the liver in about 85% of those infected. This persistent infection can be treated with medication; peginterferon and ribavirin are the current standard therapy. Overall, between 50–80% of people treated are cured. Those who develop cirrhosis or liver cancer may require a liver transplant. Hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver transplantation though the virus usually recurs after transplantation. No vaccine against hepatitis C is currently available.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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