Biomedical student Bruno Carigo, 23, has developed molecular tests that reveal, more specifically, the hepatitis Bresponsible for causing diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver and hepatocellular carcinoma (cancer of the liver cells).
As a result, the tests could become a low-cost option for testing kits for future vaccines that treat liver disease. The reagent was created from a mixture of insect cells and a recombinant virus (Baculovirus), which contains the protein needed for diagnosis.
“The work reveals the possibility of using this combination for the production of diagnostic kits and, in the future, the development of vaccine antigens against hepatitis B for the population. It is a study of great relevance to Brazilian public health,” highlights Bruno.
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, overuse of medications, or alcohol consumption. There are five types of hepatitis: A, B, C, D, and E. However, types A, B, and C are most common in Brazil. Getty Images
***** Picture-person-Holding-in-hands.jpgHepatitis A is caused by a virus that can be transmitted through sexual contact or through ingestion of contaminated food and water. Diagnosis is made through clinical and laboratory tests. TEK IMAGE / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images
***** Picture of a person sitting on the floor with his hand on his head. jpgThere is no specific treatment for hepatitis A, so self-treatment should be avoided. Despite this, there is an effective vaccine against the disease. Among the main symptoms of this type: nausea for no apparent reason, hypothermia, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, fatigue.Glasshouse Images / Getty Images
***** Picture-person-making-tattoo.jpgHepatitis B is also caused by a virus and can be transmitted by sharing personal items, performing tattoos and surgeries without proper hygiene, during sexual intercourse, among other things. The main symptoms are: yellowing of the eyes, abdominal pain, and dark urineJeffrey Coolidge / Getty Images
***** Picture of a liver with hepatitis. jpgIn the case of hepatitis B, the liver may show persistent inflammation and there is a risk that the disease will progress to cirrhosis. It can be identified through laboratory tests. In most cases, it can be treated with antiviral medications that prevent the virus from multiplying and slow or improve the course of the disease.KATERYNA KON / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images
***** Picture-eye-yellow.jpgHepatitis C, which is also caused by a virus, has a similar mode of transmission as hepatitis B. However, hepatitis C can be cured in more than 95% of cases, and treatment is available with oral medications. Symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, and yellowing of the eyes or skin. MediaProduction / Getty Images
***** image-person-performing-dental-procedure. jpgHepatitis D, also known as delta hepatitis, is caused by the HDV virus (RNA virus, which needs hepatitis B virus for infection to occur). It is present in the blood and secretions and can be transmitted as in the case of hepatitis B and C. Luis Alvarez/Getty Images
***** Picture-person-with-hands-on-tummy.jpgHepatitis D can cause abdominal pain, fatigue, and nausea. The disease must be diagnosed through clinical and epidemiological examinations.boonchai wedmakawand / Getty Images
***** Picture-plate-with-food-2.jpgHepatitis E, caused by the HEV virus, is transmitted by fecal-oral route, that is, through consumption of contaminated water or food. In most cases, this type of disease is curable. Symptoms include decreased appetite, nausea, and yellowing of the skin. In rare cases, the disease can progress to acute liver failure. Ekaterina Smirnova / Getty Images
***** Picture-person-wash-the-hands.jpgRegardless of the vaccine indicated for all cases, some recommendations are necessary to prevent viral hepatitis. These are: washing hands after using the toilet, washing food with treated, chlorinated or boiling water, cooking food thoroughly and not bathing in untreated water or near a sewer.Solskin/Getty Images
**** Foto-Instrumentos-cirurgicos.jpgIn addition, using condoms, not sharing syringes or personal use materials, and making sure biosafety protocols are followed before undergoing tattoos, piercings, dental treatments, and surgical procedures can help prevent illness.Aja Koska / Getty Images
**** Illustration-person-with-yellow-liver. jpgIn addition, there is also alcoholic hepatitis caused by abuse and prolonged consumption of alcohol. Pharmacological hepatitis, which causes inflammation of the liver after indiscriminate use of drugs, and steatohepatitis, for example, which arises due to the accumulation of fat in the liver.Sebastian Kolitzky/Science Photo Library/Getty Images
***** Illustration-drug-viral.jpgIn milder cases, the disease may go away on its own. But in certain types it is necessary to use antiviral drugs or other special careOsaka Wayne Studios / Getty Images
***** Picture of a lying baby with a thermometer in the mouthRecently, several children aged 1 month to 16 years were diagnosed with acute hepatitis in European countries and the USA. The severity of the disease led to 17 children undergoing a liver transplant, one of whom died.Pixabay
**** Foto-ilustracao-virus.jpgThere is no clear cause for the mysterious cases of acute hepatitis, but evidence points to infection with adenovirus 41F.Photography / Getty Images
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The study is the result of the scientific initiation program at the Centro Universitário de Brasília (CEUB) and was developed in collaboration with the Laboratory of Virology at the University of Brasilia (UnB) under the direction of Professor Bergmann Ribeiro and under the supervision of Professor Annabel de Azevedo Lima and his collaborators.
The trial tested 25 samples from patients with hepatitis B provided by the Central Laboratory of the Federal District (Lacen-DF). The antigen has been pre-tested and determined according to the pre-specified disease.
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