Cigarrette Smoke Inhibits Interferon

[CoWriter]

July 2009

Acrolein, a ubiquitous pollutant and lipid hydroperoxide product, inhibits antiviral activity of interferon-alpha: relevance to hepatitis C.

Joshi-Barve S, Amancherla K, Patil M, Bhatnagar A, Mathews S, Gobejishvili L, Cave M, McClain C, Barve S.
Department of Medicine, University of Louisville Medical Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease and can lead to hepatocellular carcinoma and end-stage liver disease. The current FDA-approved treatment for HCV (pegylated interferon-alpha (IFNalpha) with ribavirin) is effective in only about 50% of patients. Epidemiological evidence suggests that obesity, alcohol, smoking, and environmental pollutants may contribute to resistance to IFNalpha therapy in HCV. Acrolein, a ubiquitous environmental pollutant and major component of cigarette smoke, is also generated endogenously by cellular metabolism and lipid peroxidation. This study examines the effects of acrolein on (i) IFNalpha-mediated signaling and antiviral gene expression in cultured and primary human hepatocytes and (ii) HCV replication in an HCV-replicon system. Our data demonstrate that nontoxic concentrations of acrolein significantly inhibited IFNalpha-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of both cytoplasmic and nuclear STAT1 and STAT2, without altering the total levels. Also, acrolein down-regulated IFNalpha-stimulated gene transcription, resulting in reduced expression of antiviral genes. Importantly, acrolein abolished the IFNalpha-mediated down-regulation of HCV viral expression in the HCV-replicon system. This study defines mechanisms involved in resistance to IFNalpha and identifies the pathogenic role of acrolein, and potentially other environmental pollutants, in suppressing IFNalpha antiviral activity and establishes their adverse impact on HCV therapy.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19345260?ordinalpos=68&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

[bajawoman]

Guess what  Co, I quit smoking, two weeks ago Friday just woke up and could not smoke and chose each time I wanted and want a cigarette not to smoke  I carry them with me everywhere but haven't lit up yet  Just seemed the right time  

and  more good news my Glucose is down from 103 to 90  next step excercise  I need oxygen now that the nicotine is getting out of my system  

baja

[Rockerforlife]

IVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR 5 YEARS


Epidemiological evidence suggests that obesity, alcohol, smoking, and environmental pollutants may contribute to resistance to IFNalpha therapy in HCV

[nygirl7]

I couldn't stop no matter what I did and I still got SVR.  Not saying anybody should smoke God no but if you can't quit........lots of people have SVR'd who do. Treatment is hard enough and stressful enough without really freaking out over the whole thing if you can't quit.

[rita863]

I hear ya, I couldn't quit then or now.... I don't think I would have been able to finish treatment if I did quit.  

[cuisinier_specialise]

lol!  nygirl7 and rita863 is the sanest one with the most intellegent coments.  

TX is NOT a time to consider stopping smoking!!!  Evdentally you have NOT had the pleasure of TX or you'd know it is hard enuff just to make it to the end.  

:(

I'd recomend NO ONE attempting to stop while ON TX.  Before or after FINE.  

I lit up and passed the SVR test.  :)

[CoWriter]

Perhaps you can point to me where I recommended that anybody stop smoking while on treatment because I don't remember saying that.

I don't remember making ANY comments.  All I did was post the study.  As a matter of fact, I don't even remember THINKING that.  So it couldn't have been that you read my mind....LOL

Co

[cuisinier_specialise]

Ut Hummmm........

Seems you never treated... like I  preveously SAID ....lol

You sure you not on RIBA tho????  Just a LITTLE humor... :)  

Hope the rest of your day goes better

:0)

[merryBe]

Yup, the nicotene and ESPECIALLY the tar put a real strain on the immune system, so no big surprise there.

But let's also remember that POT, maryjane, maijuana has more tar in it that tobacco...
so using it for "medical" reasons may calm your brain while it causes you to relaspe even more then cigs would...

although, people smoke more cigs a day that joints...well most do...
I don't know of anyone who every smoked 20 or 40 joints a day (1 or 2 packs).
So cigs probably do more damage.

This makes me wonder why that study that concluded the alcohol caused 10x more fibrosis and pot caused 7 times more fibrois...why did they not also include what increasse cigs created in rates of fibrosis.
that would have been an interessting number to know.
mb

[CoWriter]

Good for you!  You should be very proud of all the changes you have made.

Co