HUDA SAEED HAMID
3rd Grade / Faculty of Pharmacy- TIU – Erbil
Hepatitis refers to an inflammatory condition of the liver, it’s commonly caused by a viral infection, but there are other possible causes of hepatitis. These include autoimmune hepatitis and hepatitis that occurs as a secondary result of medications, drugs, toxins, and alcohol. Autoimmune hepatitis is a disease that occurs when your body makes antibodies against your liver tissue.
This infection (swelling in the liver) and damage can affect how well your liver functions. Hepatitis can be an acute (short-term) infection or a chronic (long-term) infection. Some types of hepatitis cause only acute infections. Other types can cause both acute and chronic infections. Hepatitis is acute if it resolves within six months, and chronic if it lasts longer than six months. Acute hepatitis can resolve on its own, progress to chronic hepatitis, or, rarely, result in acute liver failure. Chronic hepatitis may progress to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), liver failure, and liver cancer.
The 5 Types of Viral Hepatitis
Viral infections of the liver that are classified as hepatitis include hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. A different virus is responsible for each type of virally transmitted hepatitis.
Hepatitis A is always an acute, short-term disease, while hepatitis B, C, and D are most likely to become ongoing and chronic. Hepatitis E is usually acute but can be particularly dangerous in pregnant women.
Biochemical Parameters
Biochemical parameters in viral hepatitis varies with respect to the different types of viral hepatitis. The liver function test (also known as a liver panel) measures the levels of different substances (enzymes and proteins) excreted by your liver. These tests check the overall health of your liver. The different substances are often tested at the same time on a single blood sample, and may include the followings:
- Alanine aminotransferase (ALT). • Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST). • Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)
- Bilirubin a waste product made by the liver. • Albumin a protein made in the liver.
- Prothrombin time (PT), a protein involved in blood clotting.
It can be concluded that derangement of biochemical parameters in patients suffering from common types of viral hepatitis is more in HEV and HBV and comparatively less in HAV and HCV.
Over time, inflammation can lead to scarring, which, in turn can lead to cirrhosis and eventually to liver failure. The most common types of hepatitis in the United States are hepatitis A, B, and C.
Hepatitis B is the most common serious liver infection in the world, it is caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV).
The author of the present article believes that a plan against Hepatitis presently does not exist as it is required. Every opportunity is needed to be seized to improve and strengthen efforts, including World Hepatitis Day for raising awareness to combat the infectious disease.
References
[1] “What is hepatitis?”. WHO. July 2016. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2016. [2] Bernal W.; Wendon J. (2013). “Acute Liver Failure”. New England Journal of Medicine. 369: 2525–2534. doi:10.1056/nejmra1208937. PMID 24369077. [3] Lee, Mary (10 March 2009). Basic Skills in Interpreting Laboratory Data.ASHP. p. 259. ISBN 978-1-58528-180-0. Retrieved 5 August 2011.- Others information’s from (https://healthline.com/).
