Could the Biological Clock Be a Key Ally in the Fight Against Inflammatory Disease?

INSERM: What if the symptoms and seriousness of certain inflammatory diseases were linked to time of day? Researchers from Inserm, Institut Pasteur de Lille and Université de Lille have been working on this hypothesis, after noting that the seriousness and mortality associated with fulminant hepatitis were dependent on the time at which the disease was induced. Their study, conducted on human cells and mice, shows that the anti-inflammatory action of a biological clock protein could prevent the onset of fulminant hepatitis, by alleviating symptoms and increasing survival rates. This research has been published in Gastroenterology.

Man develops acute hepatitis from consuming too many energy drinks

BMJ: A 50 year-old man was admitted to the emergency department  with  acute  hepatitis, most likely due to his intake of 4 - 5 energy  drinks every day for three weeks, reveal doctor s writing in the  journ a l BMJ Case Repor t s. After the man started consuming energy drinks, he developed  malaise, anorexia and worsening abdominal pain, which  progressed to nausea, and vomiting. He originally thought his  symptoms were down to a flu - like syndrome. However, he  became alarmed when he developed dark urine and generalized  jaundice. He didn't note any changes in his diet or use of alcohol, tobacco,  or illicit drugs, apart from consuming energy drinks. As a  construction worker, he used the energy drinks to help get  through his labor - inten sive workday. Physical examination revealed jaundice and right upper  abdominal tenderness. Lab tests revealed high levels of liver  enzymes, called transaminases, indicating liver damage, and  evidence of chronic hepatitis C infection. Liver biopsy showed severe hepatitis.

Hepatitis C Overview

Drs Jeffrey Vietri1, Girish Prajapati and Antoine C El Khoury. USA. BMC Gastroenterology. 2013

An estimated 160 million people are chronically infected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) worldwide . Approximately 9 million have HCV infection in Europe, with greater prevalence in the southern and eastern regions.

While the incidence of new cases is low, few patients exposed to the virus spontaneously clear the infection, so exposure typically results in chronic infection that will continue indefinitely. Many chronically infected patients do not know that they have been infected with HCV, as infection is largely asymptomatic.

Drug-induced hepatitis

Author: Dr Tim Davern California Pacific Medical Center 2009-05-14

What is drug-induced hepatitis?

Drug-induced hepatitis, also known as hepatoxicity, refers to liver injury caused by drugs or other chemical agents and represents a special type of adverse reaction. The condition is called many things, but the one that experts currently favor is drug-induced liver injury (DILI); this is the term that will be used throughout this article. In addition, the generic term “drugs” shall be used to encompass the entire range of potentially injurious agents, also called hepatoxins.