Hepatitis B And Stem Cell Therapy

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Stem Cell Therapies

Stem Cell Therapy

Hepatitis B is one of the types of hepatitis virus that affects the liver. It’s caused by the hepatitis B virus. It’s a chronic type of hepatitis, which means that it lasts more than six months. However, it can cause both acute and chronic type of hepatitis. This disease is usually asymptomatic in the initial phase, however, it starts to show symptoms as the disease progresses. Some of the earliest symptoms of the disease include nausea, vomiting, yellow discoloration of the skin, white of the eyes, and urine. It usually takes about one month to 3 months before symptoms start showing. Majority of those with the chronic disease do not show symptom, although they tend to eventually develop cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. This occurs in about 25% of the population. Hepatitis B is transmitted through body fluid. This includes the exposure to body fluids such as blood, semen and so on.  Hepatitis is mostly gotten through vertical transmission, that is during childbirth, from the mother to the child, in areas where the disease is common. Other ways of spreading the disease include the use of intravenous drug use, sexual intercourse. There are some factors that increase the chance of getting affected by Hepatitis B. Some of these factors are people that work in hospitals and handle blood transfusions, dialysis, tattoo center, acupuncture and so on. The hepatitis B cannot be shared by sharing a spoon or hugging, coughing or even kissing. Hepatitis B can only be diagnosed in one to two months after being exposed to the disease. Diagnosis is made by evaluating the blood in the laboratory. The blood is tested for the presence of Hepatitis B antibodies and for other components of the virus. Physicians can buy stem cells online that can be used for the treatment of hepatitis B.

 

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Hepatitis B?

The signs and symptoms of Hepatitis B vary from mild to severe. Although some cases are asymptomatic, others display signs and symptoms within one to 3 months after the onset of the disease. Below are some of the signs and symptoms of hepatitis B;

  1. Abdominal pain:
  2. Dark urine
  3. Yellow discoloration of the skin, urine and the white part of the eyes.
  4. Loss of appetite
  5. Nausea and vomiting.
  6. Fever
  7. Weakness and tiredness.

What Are The Causes Of Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus. The virus is passed from one person to another through the exchange of fluid. This includes blood, semen, and the exchange of saliva, or sharing of eating utensils. In addition, the virus cannot be spread by coughing and sneezing. Below are some of the ways the Hepatitis B virus is spread;

  1. Sexual intercourse: People get hepatitis B when they have unprotected sexual intercourse with someone that is infected with the virus. In addition, the disease can be gotten if the blood, saliva, semen and vaginal secretions enter the body.
  2. Vertical transmission: This occurs during childbirth, and it’s one of the most common ways of spreading Hepatitis B, especially in areas where the disease is common. This can be prevented by taking the hepatitis B vaccination. This prevents newborn from being infected by hepatitis B. In addition, pregnant women, and those that want to get pregnant should be tested for the disease.
  3. Sharing of needles: Hepatitis B is commonly shared via the use of infected and contaminated syringes and needles. In addition, sharing IV drug accessories increases the risk of having Hepatitis B.
  4. Hospital accidents: This commonly occurs in the hospital, especially in health care workers that deal with procedures such as blood transfusion. They might mistakenly get exposed to the blood of an infected patient.

What’s The Difference Between Acute and Chronic Hepatitis B?

As earlier said, hepatitis B can either be acute or chronic.

  • Acute hepatitis B: Acute hepatitis is the type of hepatitis that doesn’t exist for more than 6 months. The body immune system is usually capable of eliminating acute hepatitis B from the body. Patients do recover fully after some months. Adults that are affected by Hepatitis B, usually have the acute infection. However, this can also lead to chronic, if not well managed.
  • Chronic hepatitis B: This type of hepatitis last longer than 6 months. It occurs because the body immune system cannot fight off the virus. Chronic hepatitis B can last throughout the lifetime of the affected individual, and may eventually lead to diseases such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma.

It has observed that the younger a person when he’s affected by hepatitis B, the more the chances of being affected by chronic hepatitis as adults. Chronic hepatitis can be asymptomatic for years until the patient comes with a serious illness.

What Are The Risk Factors Of Having Hepatitis B?

There are some factors that increase the chances of having Hepatitis B. Some of the factors include;

  1. Having unprotected sexual intercourse with someone that is infected by Hepatitis B virus.
  2. Occupational hazards: People that work with human body fluids frequently have a higher chance of being infected with hepatitis B. Examples of this kind of people are health care workers, especially people that handles blood transfusion.
  3. Childbirth: This is one of the most common ways of spreading Hepatitis B. Mothers who are infected with hepatitis B tend to pass the virus to their babies. The only way to prevent this is to go for hepatitis test before becoming pregnant. There are vaccinations to prevent Hepatitis B.
  4. IV drug use: Illicit drug users also have a high risk of becoming infected with the virus. This is because drug users tend to share needles between themselves.
  5. Going to regions with a prevalence of hepatitis B: Travelling to regions that are ravaged by the hepatitis B virus is also one of the easiest ways of contacting the disease. Examples of such places include Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe.

How Is Hepatitis B Currently Treated?

Acute hepatitis B might not require treatment, as this disease resolves by itself. On the other hand, chronic hepatitis B requires treatment. Some of the treatment include antivirus medication.

Stem Cell Therapy And Hepatitis B

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. Stem cell treatment is important for patients suffering from hepatitis, especially chronic hepatitis B.

 

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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