New markers for early detection of serious liver pathologies after hepatitis C identified
New combinations antiviral drugs against the virus Hepatitis C (HCV) have revolutionized treatment against chronic hepatitis Cwith eradication of the virus in almost all treated patients. Despite this, the impact elimination of infection affects the frequency of development hepatocellular carcinoma (the most common type of liver cancer) in these patients, and this process is not completely reversible despite cure of HCV infection.
In this context, a study conducted by researchers from Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), an organization dependent on Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU), identifies a small number of genes that continue to be expressed abnormally in free cells infections.
These changes are consistent with those observed in liver biopsy recovered patients virologically and demonstrates the value of infection models used to search for markers liver condition after recovery in patients after the infection has been eradicated, which could facilitate follow-up of these patients.
These changes are comparable to those observed in liver biopsies of virologically cured patients.
In a work led by a CSIC researcher in National Biotechnology Center (CNB-CSIC), Pablo Gastamanzaused two models of persistent infection in Cell cultures analyze and compare differences at the level gene expression after complete elimination of the viral infection.
Gastaminza emphasizes that in the article published in the Journal of Medical Virology, “we describe a generalized change in the expression of genes associated with the infection after its resolution, and how, however, a small number of genes continue to express themselves abnormal form in cells that are now free of infection.”
Castro: “These infection models may provide relevant information to search for markers of liver health after recovery”
Victoria Castroresearcher at CNB-CSIC and first author of the paper, describes in detail the novelty of the study: “a comparison of the results obtained in two types of cell culture modelssuggests that permanent transcriptional changes or the phenomenon of selection of cellular subpopulations with greater competitive ability may be established, in the case of proliferative culturesor due to the direct influence of viral replication on regulation gene expression cellsMoreover, some of the changes observed in both models are consistent with the changes observed in liver biopsy patients cured of chronic infection“.
In addition, the researcher continues, “these infection models can provide relevant information for searching for viral markers.” liver condition after recovery, which could facilitate follow-up monitoring of these patients who are not exempt from the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma“.
“On the other hand, these data open up new insights into the direct contribution of viral replication to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma,” concludes Castro.
This work is the result of a collaboration between researchers from the CIBER Liver and Digestive Diseases (CYBEREHD) Pablo Gastamanza in CNB-CSIC and Sofia Perez del Pulgar at IDIBAPS in Barcelona in collaboration with the Department of Bioinformatics, Genomics and Proteomics CNB-CSIC.