Medicine Liver inflammation can damage the kidneys
Liver cells infected with the hepatitis E virus can damage the kidneys. In the worst case, this can lead to kidney failure, as a research team from the University of Zurich (UZH) discovered.
31.10.2024, 11:54
SDA
In collaboration with researchers from France and various hospitals in Switzerland, the team examined tissue samples from infected individuals, as reported by UZH on Thursday. The infected liver sometimes produced a large excess of a viral protein, which entered the bloodstream. There, the proteins were recognized by the immune system, which formed antibodies that attached themselves to the viral proteins.
According to the UZH, the viral envelope-antibody complexes accumulate in the blood filter devices of the kidneys. If the complexes accumulate faster than they are broken down, damage can occur. It is possible to prevent the kidneys from collapsing by administering substances that inhibit the multiplication of viruses, the report continued.
The hepatitis E virus infects around 70 million people every year. It is one of the most common forms of viral hepatitis and a global health problem.
