Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0023890 (cirrhosis)
 42,195 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the commonest, fatal, autosomal recessive disorder and is associated with lung sepsis, pancreatic failure and elevated sweat electrolytes. The CF gene on chromosome 7 encodes a protein identified as CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) which regulates chloride ion transport in epithelial cell membranes. Almost 100 mutations have been identified in this gene which cause defective chloride-channel control. Recently, this abnormality has been reversed in affected CF cells in vitro by retrovirus-mediated transfer of a normal gene. Fifty years ago, most cases died in childhood, but now up to 80% reach adulthood. Chronic lung sepsis is the principal cause of death, and intensive antibiotic therapy with chest physiotherapy is used to control this. Advanced lung disease can be successfully treated by heart-lung transplantation. Nebulised recombinant DNase and antineutrophil elastase agents such as alpha-1-antitrypsin and secretory leucoprotease inhibitor are potentially promising new therapies. Pancreatic insufficiency is managed by high-calorie diets and enteric coated enzyme supplements. Other prominent gastrointestinal complications include meconium ileus equivalent, biliary cirrhosis and cholelithiasis. Specially dedicated CF centres have led to improved survival rates and allow experienced staff to treat the many complications of CF while promoting research in this multisystem disorder.
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PMID:Cystic fibrosis in adolescents and adults. The coming of age of cystic fibrosis. 155 Dec 44

Immune complexes in liver specimens from 10 patients with chronic liver diseases [2 with chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH), 3 with chronic aggressive hepatitis (CAH) of moderate activity, 3 with CAH of severe activity, and 2 with liver cirrhosis] were examined by a technique of direct immunofluorescence using FITC-labelled human purified Clq (FITC-Clq). FITC-Clq bound to the nuclei of all cells in liver tissue. After DNase treatment, positive nuclei were absent, but positive staining with FITC-Clq remained in amorphous deposits and hepatic cell membranes in the areas of piecemeal necrosis of four CAH patients. Since FITC-Clq could not be demonstrated in the liver tissue of CPH and liver cirrhosis which contained no piecemeal necrosis, positive fluorescence in the liver of CAH patients was thought to indicate immune complexes bound to FITC-Clq. The fact that these positive substances, however, were few in number, may be the result of physiological mechanisms of immune clearance which rapidly eliminate immune complexes from the body.
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PMID:Tissue immune complexes demonstrated in the liver of patients with chronic aggressive hepatitis using FITC-labelled human Clq. 644 90

Liver tissue cirrhosis, developed in rats after long-term administration of CCl4, led to distinct increase in activities of acid phosphatase, acid DNAase, cathepsin D, beta-galactosidase and beta-glucosidase. When the treatment with the hepatotropic toxins was stopped activity of lysosomal enzymes decreased slightly but was maintained at the high level. Within a day after a single administration of choriogonine distinct decrease as compared with the controls in activity of all the acid hydrolases studied was found. Within subsequent periods the lysosomal enzymes activity continued to decrease and within 2 months after the choriogonine treatment it was distinctly lower as compared with control animals.
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PMID:[Effect of choriogonine on the enzymatic activity of lysosomes in the cirrhotic liver in the rat]. 681 64

The activity of the enzymatic activity of the preparations of IgG1, IgG2 and IgG4, isolated from the blood of patients with acute virus hepatitis B and chronic viral hepatitis C resulting in cirrhosis, was studied. The blood samples were found to have DNAase activity significantly exceeding that of immunoglobulins isolated from the blood sera of healthy donors, as well as peroxidase, oxidase and esterase activities, whose level did not significantly differ from those of the donor blood sera. The interaction of IgG preparations with the cations of different metals was studied. The study revealed that the addition of CuSO4 solution at the final concentration of 4.7 x 10(-5) M to the blood samples led to a significant increase in activity in comparison with the initial one (on the average, 7.8 +/- 2.97 times) in all 14 samples. The activity thus observed was partially inhibited by the addition of the solution of staphylococcal protein A. As noted in the course of this study, high DNAase and peroxidase activities of Ig were most frequently observed in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. The difference in the levels of IgG activity between patients with cirrhosis of the liver and patients with virus hepatitis, but no signs of cirrhosis, is not significant.
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PMID:[The enzymatic activity of IgG preparations in viral hepatitis]. 978 8

First rate collaboration between clinicians and research scientists in a multiplicity of fields have brought new hope to patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The gene, mutations of which give rise to the disease, has been exhaustively mapped, and the functional defects are becoming steadily clearer. Diagnosis is continually being improved and simplified. Neonatal screening has been introduced in many countries and has yielded good results. Promising new advances in treatment include inhalatory DNase (deoxyribonuclease), lung and liver transplantation, UDCA (ursodeoxycholic acid) against cirrhosis, and in vitro fertilisation for men with CF. Pseudomonas species are being combatted more and more effectively with new antibiotics, with immunoglobulins (IgY) for prophylaxis, and possibly new vaccines to come. Future treatment strategies, designed to correct anomalies of cellular biology, are already undergoing clinical trials, and gene therapy using a variety of vectors is undergoing phase-1 trials. A definitive cure remains a realistic hope.
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PMID:[Further clarification of functional issues in cystic fibrosis. Current research and future prospects]. 1047 96

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the main agent of acute and chronic liver diseases leading to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The current standard therapy has limited efficacy and serious side effects. Thus, the development of alternate therapies is of tremendous importance. HCV NS5A (nonstructural 5A protein) is a pleiotropic protein with key roles in HCV replication and cellular signaling pathways. Here we demonstrate that NS5A dimerization occurs through Domain I (amino acids 1-240). This interaction is not mediated by nucleic acids because benzonase, RNase, and DNase treatments do not prevent NS5A-NS5A interactions. Importantly, DTT abrogates NS5A-NS5A interactions but does not affect NS5A-cyclophilin A interactions. Other reducing agents such as tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine and 2-mercaptoethanol also abrogate NS5A-NS5A interactions, implying that disulfide bridges may play a role in this interaction. Cyclophilin inhibitors, cyclosporine A, and alisporivir and NS5A inhibitor BMS-790052 do not block NS5A dimerization, suggesting that their antiviral effects do not involve the disruption of NS5A-NS5A interactions. Four cysteines, Cys-39, Cys-57, Cys-59, and Cys-80, are critical for dimerization. Interestingly, the four cysteines have been proposed to form a zinc-binding motif. Supporting this notion, NS5A dimerization is greatly facilitated by Zn(2+) but not by Mg(2+) or Mn(2+). Importantly, the four cysteines are vital not only for viral replication but also critical for NS5A binding to RNA, revealing a correlation between NS5A dimerization, RNA binding, and HCV replication. Altogether our data suggest that NS5A-NS5A dimerization and/or multimerization could represent a novel target for the development of HCV therapies.
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PMID:Correlation between NS5A dimerization and hepatitis C virus replication. 2280 23

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a progressive, inflammatory form of fatty liver disease. It is the most rapidly rising risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which can arise in NASH with or without cirrhosis. The inflammatory signals promoting the progression of NASH to HCC remain largely unknown. The propensity of neutrophils to expel decondensed chromatin embedded with inflammatory proteins, known as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), has been shown to be important in chronic inflammatory conditions and in cancer progression. In this study, we asked whether NET formation occurs in NASH and contributes to the progression of HCC. We found elevated levels of a NET marker in serum of patients with NASH. In livers from STAM mice (NASH induced by neonatal streptozotocin and high-fat diet), early neutrophil infiltration and NET formation were seen, followed by an influx of monocyte-derived macrophages, production of inflammatory cytokines, and progression of HCC. Inhibiting NET formation, through treatment with deoxyribonuclease (DNase) or using mice knocked out for peptidyl arginine deaminase type IV (PAD4-/- ), did not affect the development of a fatty liver but altered the consequent pattern of liver inflammation, which ultimately resulted in decreased tumor growth. Mechanistically, we found that commonly elevated free fatty acids stimulate NET formation in vitro.
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PMID:Neutrophil extracellular traps promote inflammation and development of hepatocellular carcinoma in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. 2963 32