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Hepatitis E is a disease that affects the liver. It is an inflammation of the liver, that is caused by an infection with the Hepatitis E virus. The Hepatitis E is one of the hepatitis viruses, which includes the Hepatitis A, B, C, and D. Infections caused by Hepatitis E are self-limiting. This implies that the infection is temporary, and the patient would recover. The mortality rate of this disease is low, although there is a high risk of it developing into the chronic form. The virus is mainly transmitted through the fecal-oral route. As earlier mentioned, this disease is an acute disease, and mostly resolves by itself. The mortality rate of the disease is low in the Western world, although, the reverse is the case in the developing world, especially in people with an immunocompromised immunity. In addition, people who are organ transplant patients do require their immunity to be suppressed. This exposes to infections such as hepatitis E. People affected by hepatitis E generally have a reduced productivity, as the disease impairs their ability to work, and take care of their family. The disease has a similar pathophysiology to Hepatitis A, as both are transmitted fecal-orally, however, the disease is more dangerous in pregnant women. Hepatitis E in pregnant women has been connected with fulminant liver failure. The mortality rate of affected pregnant women has been set at about 20%. Stem cells and exosomes are potential ways of treating this disease. Stem cells have the ability to control the inflammatory process.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Hepatitis E?

Patients might not present with any symptoms; however, some do present with them. These signs and symptoms might become evident after the second week of the sixth week after the patient has been infected. Below are some of them;

  1. Acute infection: Some of the symptoms that are presented in the prodromal phase includes tiredness, nausea, and jaundice. The virus can be easily detected in the stool and blood of the patient, during the incubation period. One of the indicators that shows that the patient is recovering is the disappearance of IgM antibodies and the surge in the number of IgG antibodies in the blood serum.
  2. Chronic infection: This occurs mostly in patients that are immunocompromised, or that have a weakened immune system. Viral hepatitis might lead to the development of conditions such a liver cirrhosis. This is a condition in which the liver cells undergo fibrosis. This complication may lead to symptoms such as portal hypertension, accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, esophageal varices, a condition in which the patient vomits blood, due to tears in the esophagus, as a result of an impairment in the production of clotting factors, jaundice and so on.
  3. Hepatitis E can also affect other organs of the body. Some of the organs that could be affected by Hepatitis E include the following;
  • Acute pancreatitis
  • Thrombocytopenia: This is a condition in which the body has a low number of platelet in the body.
  • Renal disease: Hepatitis E can also present with symptoms of the renal system, such as nephrotic syndrome.
  • Blood disorder: Hepatitis E can lead to hemolytic anemia. This is more prominent in people that have Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.
  • Nervous system: Hepatitis E can also lead to conditions such as Guillain-Barre syndrome. This is a condition in which there is limb

weakness. This is a disease that affects the peripheral nervous system.

  1. Other signs and symptoms: Other signs and symptoms that might be presented by people affected by Hepatitis E include skin rash, pain in the joint and in the bones, yellow discoloration of the skin and the sclera of the eyes, abdominal pain, dark urine, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue and fever.

                                What Are The Causes Of Hepatitis E?

Hepatitis E is transmitted through the fecal-oral route. It spreads when people gain contact or consume food that has been infected with the virus. This virus is abundant in the feces of infected patients. The viral disease is more prevalent in parts of the world that has a poor sanitary habit, especially the washing of hands. The inadequacy or complete lack of clean water also contributes greatly to the development of this disease. This disease rarely occurs in the United States because of the availability of clean and potable water. In addition, water and sewage plants kill the virus before it can gain access to drinking water supply. It’s also possible to get Hepatitis E from the consumption of meat that is not well cooked, especially from animals that have been infected by the virus. Lastly, Hepatitis E virus can also be found in raw shellfish. This kind of shellfish can be found in dirty or murky bodies of water.

How Is Hepatitis E Diagnosed?

The physician will ask the patient about his past medical history and present complaints. He/she will then order some other tests if there is an indication that the patient might have been infected with Hepatitis E. Some of the tests that could be ordered by the doctor include a blood test and stool test. This is to check for the presence of the virus in the samples.  In addition, any recent trip, especially to developing parts of the world, that is ravaged by Hepatitis E will raise a red flag.

How To Prevent Hepatitis E?

There are vaccinations for Hepatitis E, however, there are some health practices that can reduce the occurrence of the disease. The disease is prevalent in less-developed countries of the world such as in some parts of Africa, Asia, and Central America. Some of the practices that can prevent Hepatitis E are;

  1. Cooking your meat and fish well before consumption.
  2. Only drink water that is clean. Avoid drinking water that has color, or odor.
  3. Don’t swim in dirty water.
  4. Endeavor to wash your hands after making use of the restroom or after contact with stool.

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How Is Hepatitis E Currently Treated?

Hepatitis E usually self-resolves after about a month to a month and a half, although there are some conditions that can increase the rate of recovery. Some of these conditions include

  • Proper rest
  • Eating clean and healthy food.
  • Consuming a lot of water
  • Consuming little amounts of alcohol, or totally avoiding alcohol.

Stem cell therapy and Hepatitis E

This would only be needed if Hepatitis E persists for a long time, and develops complications such as liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Stem cells are unique cells that are capable of repairing and replacing the damaged and dead cells in the body. They also have the ability to modulate inflammatory processes.

References

Dickson, I. (2017). Stem cells: Stem cell therapy for liver cirrhosis unrealistic?. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 15(1), pp.4-4.

Grompe, M. (2014). Liver Stem Cells, Where Art Thou?. Cell Stem Cell, 15(3), pp.257-258.

Rajaram, R., Subramani, B., Abdullah, B. and Mahadeva, S. (2017). Mesenchymal stem cell therapy for advanced liver cirrhosis: A case report. JGH Open, 1(4), pp.153-155.

Zhang, Z. and Wang, F. (2013). Stem cell therapies for liver failure and cirrhosis. Journal of Hepatology, 59(1), pp.183-185.Stem Cell Therapy And Hepatic Carcinoma

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