Stem Cell Therapies

Stem Cell Therapy

Hepatitis is a condition in which there is inflammation of the tissues of the liver. The liver is the largest organ in the body, and it has a lot of functions. Some of these functions include the digestion of food, the production of proteins, detoxification of toxic substances, and so on. While some people present with signs and symptoms, some do not show any sign of the disease. Some of the signs and symptoms of the disease include the yellowing of the skin and the sclera, loss of appetite, prolonged fatigue, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Hepatitis can be classified into acute and chronic. Acute hepatitis is the type that occurs in less than 6 months, while chronic happens in more than 6 months. Acute hepatitis usually resolves after a while, even without any medication. However, it can also develop into chronic hepatitis, and eventually result in acute liver failure. The most predominant cause of hepatitis is a virus infection. There are other causes of hepatitis, this includes excessive consumption of alcohol, medications, toxins. There are five main types of hepatitis, these include Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E. Hepatitis A, and E are the acute forms of the disease. They are caused by contaminated food and water. On the other hand, Hepatitis B, C are spread through infected blood. This could be by the sharing of needles.  Hepatitis D is associated with Hepatitis B. It only occurs when the patient is already affected with hepatitis B. There are immunizations for Hepatitis A, B and D. There are also some drugs that can be used in the treatment of the disease. Some of the things that could be done in maintaining a good health include engaging in regular physical activities, loss of weight and so on. Hepatitis caused by autoimmunity can be treated with drugs that suppress the immune system. Liver transplant is done in severe cases of the disease. Stem cell therapy is also an alternative, especially for patients affected by chronic hepatitis. Physicians can buy stem cells online that can be used for this purpose.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Hepatitis?

Hepatitis presents with a lot of signs and symptoms. Although some patients do not show any symptom. The signs and symptoms will be discussed based on the type of hepatitis.

Acute hepatitis

  1. Acute hepatitis occurs in three stages. The first phase is the prodromal stage. In this phase, patients present non-specific and flu-like symptoms. Some of the signs and symptoms include tiredness, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, headaches, and joint pain. Patients might experience symptoms such as dark urine, and clay-coloured This is more predominant in Hepatitis A and E.
  2. Discoloration of the skin and sclera of the eyes: This phase comes about 7 to fourteen days after the prodromal stage. This phase can persist for about one month. The prodromal signs and symptoms would have resolved by this time. However, patient’s liver will be enlarged. In addition, they might also experience an enlargement if the spleen and weight loss. This is also associated with abdominal discomfort.
  3. Recovery phase: This phase is where the signs and symptoms go into resolution. However, the liver enzymes and still usually high, accompanied by an enlarged liver. The acute type of hepatitis, such as the Hepatitis A and E both resolve within 4 to 8 weeks. Hepatitis B cases are also self-limiting and would resolve in about 4 months. Hepatitis C cases on the other hand rarely resolve. Only few Hepatitis C cases resolve.

Fulminant Hepatitis

Fulminant hepatitis is not a common type of hepatitis. However, there have been reported cases of the disease. It’s usually life-threatening complication and can occur in Hepatitis B, D, E, autoimmune and drug-induced hepatitis. This complication is more prevalent in Hepatitis B and D co-infection. Patients usually present with symptoms such as coagulopathies, confusion, sleepiness, and disorientation. The cause of death in fulminant hepatitis are cerebral edema, gastrointestinal bleeding, renal failure and respiratory failure.

Chronic Hepatitis

Acute hepatitis usually resolves fully within a period of six months, but chronic hepatitis usually exceeds a period of 6 months. Chronic hepatitis is usually asymptomatic initially but can be detected by laboratory studies. However, symptoms begin to occur as the disease progresses. Some of the signs and symptoms of chronic hepatitis include tiredness, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite and joint pain. In addition, patients do experience jaundice. Chronic hepatitis also leads affect the endocrine system leading to conditions such as hirsutism, amenorrhea in females. This condition if prolonged would eventually lead to liver cirrhosis. At this stage, patients present with symptoms such as loss of weight, accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, also known as ascites. Other symptoms that are associated with chronic hepatitis are esophageal varices, hepatorenal syndrome, cancer and hepatic encephalopathy.

What Are The Causes Of Hepatitis?

There are a lot of conditions that could lead to the development of hepatitis. Some of these factors are infections, genetic, metabolic, autoimmune and so on. Some of the microorganisms that could lead to hepatitis are viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

  1. Infection: Viruses are the most common cause of hepatitis. Viral hepatitis is caused by 5 different types of viruses. These are Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. The acute types of hepatitis, that is A and E, are spread through the fecal-oral Hepatitis B, C, and D happen when the mucous membrane is exposed to infected body fluids, such as blood, semen, vaginal secretions and so on.
  2. Metabolic hepatitis: This occurs as a result of an excessive consumption of alcohol. This is the most predominant cause of cirrhosis in the United States of America.

How Is Hepatitis Currently Treated?

The treatment of hepatitis largely depends on the type and severity of hepatitis. Some of the treatment procedure includes hydration, injection of interferon alpha to boost the immunity of the patient against the virus. Lamivudine, an oral nucleoside analog is also an effective medication for hepatitis.

Stem Cell Therapy And Hepatitis

Stem cells are special 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.

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