https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. A clinical trial led by Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney has found that point-of-care testing for hepatitis B DNA is as effective as traditional laboratory testing, paving the way for faster diagnosis and treatment in hard-to-reach communities. The results have been published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-hepatitis-dna-accurate-lab.html Sun, 08 Feb 2026 15:00:02 EST news689512315 A new study from Yale School of Medicine researchers has found a positive link between chronic hepatitis C and pancreatic cancer. The study, which was published in JAMA Network Open, revealed that individuals with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have a 1.8-fold increased risk of pancreatic cancer compared to those who test negative for the virus. In comparison, well-known risk factors, like diabetes or active smoking, increased the likelihood of pancreatic cancer by 1.2- or 1.3-fold. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-chronic-hepatitis-linked-pancreatic-cancer.html Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:30:02 EST news682867590 Immune cells released from bone marrow in the skull in response to chronic stress and adversity could play a key role in symptoms of depression and anxiety, say researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-depression-linked-presence-immune-cells.html Mon, 01 Sep 2025 10:37:05 EDT news675941822 Distinct trends were seen in etiology-based mortality with chronic liver disease (CLD) before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a research letter published online April 29 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-trends-mortality-chronic-liver-disease.html Thu, 08 May 2025 15:59:03 EDT news665938741 A new Australian-first study from the Burnet Institute has found that every dollar invested in Australian prison needle and syringe programs could save more than two dollars in treatment costs for hepatitis C and injection-related infections. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-prison-needle-millions-hepatitis-treatment.html Mon, 21 Apr 2025 07:55:04 EDT news664440901 In 2023, there were an estimated 68,890 people living with hepatitis C in Australia, down 58% from 162,590 at the end of 2015, according to a new report released by the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-hepatitis-australia-halved-decade.html Mon, 16 Dec 2024 12:38:35 EST news653575109 Most pediatric cases of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are perinatal, meaning the virus is transmitted from birthing parent to child during pregnancy or birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If left untreated, hepatitis C infection can lead to worse outcomes later in life, such as chronic liver disease, liver failure, and liver cancer. Identifying disparities in testing and treating hepatitis C among people of reproductive age with opioid use disorder can improve health outcomes for all birthing parents and children. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-10-revealing-disparities-hepatitis-reproductive-aged.html Mon, 07 Oct 2024 16:10:01 EDT news647535556 Around 58 million people suffer from chronic inflammation caused by the hepatitis C virus, and 300,000 people die from the disease every year. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-disciplinary-hepatitis-vaccine.html Mon, 09 Sep 2024 10:58:04 EDT news645098282 Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related diseases such as chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancers afflict a large number of people worldwide. A recent study from Korea University suggests that treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) improves liver disease-related clinical outcomes in patients with chronic HCV infection and reduces liver fibrosis-based disease burden. It further highlights that timely intervention with advanced antiviral therapies can have a positive impact on public health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-08-treatment-antivirals-hcv-disease-outcomes.html Tue, 20 Aug 2024 16:58:04 EDT news643391882 Chronic hepatitis C, caused by the hepatitis C virus, can lead to severe complications such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. The advent of highly effective direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has resulted in high cure rates for this chronic viral infection. However, it has been reported that the immune system of patients does not fully recover even after being cured. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-07-hepatitis-scars-immune-cells-successful.html Tue, 09 Jul 2024 09:17:03 EDT news639735421 People with opioid use disorder who have hepatitis C virus (HCV) were twice as likely to be successfully treated and cured from HCV if they received facilitated telemedicine treatment at their opioid treatment program (OTPs) than if they were referred off-site to another provider. Those are the findings published today by a University at Buffalo team of researchers in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-people-opioid-disorder-telemedicine-hcv.html Wed, 03 Apr 2024 11:00:01 EDT news631353826 A research team from the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut has gained important insights into the role of the human guanylate-binding protein 1 (GBP1) in hepatitis C virus infection. Their results show that GBP1 performs a previously unknown function, that of a proviral factor, during the HCV life cycle. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-hepatitis-virus-infection-team-protein.html Tue, 26 Mar 2024 12:20:38 EDT news630674432 The latest clinical practice guideline from the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) organization offers guidance for the prevention, diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in chronic kidney disease (CKD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-12-guidance-diagnosis-treatment-hepatitis-virus.html Mon, 11 Dec 2023 17:00:02 EST news621530597 Hepatitis C is a preventable but potentially life-threatening blood-borne virus. It primarily affects the liver and, if untreated, can lead to cirrhosis (scar damage) and cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-12-track-hepatitis-stigma-reinfection.html Mon, 11 Dec 2023 12:58:19 EST news621521895 Driven by the ongoing opioid epidemic and the sharing of needles, hepatitis C cases have been rising in the United States over the last decade, with the highest infection rates among young adults, including women of childbearing age. Without treatment, hepatitis C can lead to acute and chronic hepatitis, increasing the risk of liver cancer, liver failure and other conditions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-hepatitis-pregnancy-infancy.html Wed, 08 Nov 2023 11:10:01 EST news618663743 Nearly two-thirds of those with hepatitis A virus (HAV)-related deaths have at least one documented indication for HAV vaccine, and only 4% have evidence of vaccination, according to research published in the Oct. 20 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-10-hepatitis-vaccination-deaths.html Thu, 26 Oct 2023 09:30:01 EDT news617528145 A growing number of people living in the UK are going abroad to have tattoos, piercings and cosmetic surgeries. Any procedure, no matter where it's performed, can carry the risk of injury and infection. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-09-hepatitis-britons-tattoos-cosmetic-procedures.html Fri, 29 Sep 2023 12:13:04 EDT news615208381 A pediatric infectious disease team led by University at Buffalo faculty is screening and treating hepatitis C virus (HCV)-exposed infants. The clinic's efforts are documented in a new paper based on an 11-year retrospective chart review, published this month in BMC Gastroenterology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-07-clinic-detectingand-treatinghepatitis-virus-infants.html Thu, 27 Jul 2023 11:11:32 EDT news609675087 With a new method for examining virus samples researchers from the University of Copenhagen have solved an old riddle about how Hepatitis C virus avoids the human body's immune defenses. The result may have an impact on how we track and treat viral diseases in general. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-07-mystery-deadly-virus-humans.html Wed, 05 Jul 2023 11:33:03 EDT news607775581 Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver no one wants to catch, so knowing how that can happen can be critical. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-06-hepatitis.html Thu, 15 Jun 2023 13:49:27 EDT news606055762 The hepatitis vaccines you receive as a child don't protect you from getting hepatitis C, a serious disease that can have fatal consequences including liver damage, cirrhosis and liver cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-11-vaccine-hepatitis-life.html Tue, 22 Nov 2022 10:33:03 EST news588335582 Even after chronic hepatitis C has been cured, portal hypertension remains the major factor driving the development of complications in advanced liver disease. In cooperation with researchers from Spain, a research team led by Georg Semmler and Mattias Mandorfer from the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at MedUni Vienna's Department of Medicine III showed that the non-invasive tests explored in their earlier studies accurately estimate the probability of sequelae. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-11-basis-personalized-hepatitis-aftercare.html Thu, 03 Nov 2022 11:37:02 EDT news586694221 Researchers at Henry Ford Health System, as part of a national hepatitis C collaborative, report that patients with chronic hepatitis C who are treated with direct-acting antiviral medicines are less likely to be hospitalized or seek emergency care for liver and non-liver related health issues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-02-hepatitis-patients-antiviral-medicines-hospitalized.html Fri, 18 Feb 2022 17:06:26 EST news564426379 Ontarians with chronic hepatitis C can lose up to 20 percent of their overall income managing their condition, a new study has found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-11-chronic-hepatitis-expensive-ontario-patients.html Mon, 01 Nov 2021 03:38:04 EDT news554956680 Hepatitis C virus (HCV) may cause chronic infection to the liver, which can result in irreversible liver damage and liver cancer. How HCV manages to evade the immune system to infect the host chronically is not entirely understood. In a new study, researchers from Osaka University discovered a novel molecular mechanism by which HCV interferes with the host's immune system to cause chronic liver infection. These findings may help establish a novel therapy against chronic HCV infection. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-05-hepatitis-virus-evades-immune.html Mon, 24 May 2021 15:00:03 EDT news541068301 While the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) – primary liver cancer—is higher among patients who have HIV, it's even higher among patients who have HIV and detectable hepatitis B, according to research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Among participants with HIV and hepatitis B, suppressing detectable hepatitis B infection with the use of antiretroviral therapy cut the risk of developing HCC by 58 percent. These findings suggest that the best care for individuals with HIV and detectable hepatitis B includes sustained hepatitis B suppression with antiretroviral therapy in order to cut the risk of developing HCC. The study is published in the journal Hepatology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-05-long-term-suppression-hepatitis-patients-hiv.html Fri, 21 May 2021 09:51:44 EDT news540809501 The discovery of a previously unknown hepatitis B virus in donkeys and zebras opens up new opportunities for understanding the course of the disease. A global research consortium was able to show that the course of the infection with this virus is similar to that of chronic hepatitis B in humans. The study was led by DZIF scientists at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Justus Liebig University Giessen. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-03-hepatitis-people-donkeys.html Wed, 17 Mar 2021 11:30:56 EDT news535199445 When I began my medical career in Hong Kong in the early 1980s, I chose to focus on hepatitis B, in part because it was very common and because the hepatitis C virus had not yet been discovered. I witnessed the devastation that this virus caused—cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer—and the lack of treatments we could offer to patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-10-hepatitis-path.html Tue, 06 Oct 2020 09:20:02 EDT news521193735 Prophylactic treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) prevented chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 10 patients receiving kidneys from HCV positive deceased donors. This approach has potential to help shorten waiting times on the organ waitlist. A brief research report is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-09-prophylactic-antivirals-chronic-hepatitis-patients.html Tue, 08 Sep 2020 04:05:19 EDT news518756701 Predicting who may go on to develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after successful treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may now be easier, thanks to the work of two independent research teams from France and Egypt. The studies, presented at the Digital International Liver Congress (DILC) 2020, included cohorts of patients with chronic HCV infection who achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) to direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy. The studies used readily available clinical parameters to find those at lowest and highest risk of developing HCC in the future. This, the researchers say, could help to individualize HCC surveillance and detect HCC after HCV is cured as early as possible. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-liver-cancer-successful-hepatitis-virus.html Thu, 27 Aug 2020 09:16:48 EDT news517738607