| [ Summary ] |
It has been suggested that oxidative stress can play an important role in the pathogenesis of liver injury induced by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In this review, we give an outline of the relationship between oxidative stress and pathophysiology and treatment for hepatitis C. Oxidative stress may be derived from multiple factors, including viral proteins, which are core proteins and nonstructural protein 5 A, hepatic iron accumulation, which generates radicals through Fenton reactions, hepatic steatosis, and insulin resistance. A variety of parameters as markers of oxidative stress have been measured in patients with hepatitis C, but clinically useful ones have never been established. Serum thioredoxin, a stress-inducible thiol-containing protein, may be expected to be a good indicator of oxidative stress in hepatitis C. Antioxidative therapies such as phlebotomy or antioxidants are expected to be of practical uses for hepatitis C treatment, although larger clinical studies are essential in the future. |