Hep C can infect, damage brain tissues:

[mikesimon]

EDMONTON — A virus best known for the damage it does to the liver can also damage brain cells, University of Alberta researchers report in a new study.

The research into the impact of hepatitis C on the brain is significant, they say, because it marks the first time scientists have been able to show that the virus can infect the brain.

"It has been a question for a long time," said Pornpun Vivithanaporn, a post-doctoral fellow in the U of A's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and first author of the hepatitis C study, which was published last week in the Public Library of Science One Journal.

"It proves the virus has implications on neurological disease," she said Tuesday.

Hepatitis C infects about 170 million people globally and about 300,000 in Canada. It targets the liver, causing inflammation and cirrhosis.

Researchers already knew that severe liver disease can affect a person's brain, but more recent research suggested that hepatitis C patients without serious liver problems also could suffer from brain-related issues such as memory loss, trouble concentrating, apathy and depression.

The new study allowed a team of researchers to show precisely how the hepatitis C virus can infect brain cells on its own.

"That had never been shown before," said lead researcher Dr. Christopher Power, a neurologist who works in the U of A's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. "It gets in there, it infects and it replicates. For a virologist, that's a really core observation. You can see infection of the cells and you can see replication."

To show how the hepatitis C virus infects brain cells, Power pointed to a computer screen in his U of A lab on Tuesday.

On one side of the screen, pictures of two healthy brain cells appeared in red. On the other side, those same cells appeared peppered with green dots. And in this picture, green is bad since it represents a buildup of viral proteins that eventually damage and kill the cell. In a way, Power explained, the virus can cause brain cells to drown in their own garbage.

The discovery is important, Power said for a couple of reasons.

First, he said, there are immediate clinical implications. "It tells us we need to be vigilant for neurological problems for people who have hepatitis C," he said.

That would mean taking such steps as ensuring patients have assess to a neurologist or psychologist on their team of physicians as well as a liver specialist.

"The second issue is it underscores the importance (of) developing new treatment for hepatitis C so we can prevent infection of the brain," said Power, whose research is funded by Alberta Innovates — Health Solutions and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

There is now no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C. Researchers have uncovered some treatments that work for a portion of patients infected with hepatitis C, but those also can have serious side effects for some people.

Michael Harmsworth, a hepatitis C sufferer who counts Power among his five doctors, said Tuesday he was extremely interested to learn about the research team's discovery. He said he hadn't realized that hepatitis C had the potential to affect the brain until Power showed him computer images of infected tissue samples.

Harmsworth, who was diagnosed about 13 years ago, said it all points toward progress.

"It's making me think, 'Hey, I may still have my time left here,'" Harmsworth said. "My little girl is nine years old and I want to be here when she turns 16 and goes to the prom."

http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/infect+damage+brain+tissues+Report/3628505/story.html

[brankox]

And i am not- even depressed anymore,i manage to dont see t-he ignorence of t-he docto-rs, who maby t-hing i deserve what i am suffering.There are st-ill many- things t-o be discovered about how HCV affects us .But i dont have any- hope it- will be soon.Here in t-he forum i found anot-her who had my simpt-oms (depresion,low libido) but in his last- post-s  before 3 y-ears he was talking about- suicide.I really- hope i learn to- live wit-h my- disabiliti-es and never t-o th-ong or t-ry- suicide , like i did a y-ear ago,

[brankox]

I am not surprised t-hat- t-he virus kills brain cells.I became impotent and depressed aft-er just- 1 year wit-h HCV.I doubt the doct-ors can find whats the matter with me.

[DoubleDose]

This thread also is pertinent to the recent thread on HCV Brain Damage, and would provide additional information to anyone curious about other organs that may be directly infected by the virus.  Food for thought!!!

[susan400]

I totally believe that both the HCV and the 10 TX's have had a large impact on my brain.  One of the reasons why I qualified for SSDI was due to the fact that I couldn't pass that psychologic/neurologic tests that their own psychiatrist did on me when he was evaluating me.  In the state of Florida is did not qualify for SSDI based on my Hep C because I had not yet developed cirrhosis.  It was based on the effect that all of this had on my functioning and not the Hep C.  Anyhow, I don't expect many of you will understand why it is that I can't work.  I did try to go back to work once, when I was in the waiting stage of trying to get the disability and it was a disaster.  I totally could not absorb the instructions/directions that they were giving me when they were trying to train me and the very next day I had a melt down.  This, I might add, was when I was NOT on treatment.  Now, whether or not that would improve with SVR, I would be very interested to know.  Because, believe it or not, I truly want to be cleared of this and be back to being a working person and a productive member of society.  Take Care ya'll.

Susan400

[DoubleDose]

I do believe that some years ago these were the same "theories and observations" that I raised on multiple occassions.  Although my ideas seemed to be roundly rejected back then, they may just be revisited these days.  And do we have any idea at all what effect the interferon has on the "brain" infection??  Could there also be other organs or cells that the virus also infects, and may remain within long term???  Questions that I no longer try to get answers to....the answers will come along on their own.  Since our blood is now considered "virus free"  (for the SVR's), does that mean that there is absolutely no virus acting on any systems or organs in our body?  We don't have those answers yet....but we will in time....  Still SVR after 7 years....and working at getting back to "normal"....  my brain often doesn't want to cooperate......and maybe there is a reason....  Anyway, I am going to make the best of whatever this SVR consists of....Hello to all my old friends and (not so friends) on the forum.  I hope you are all doing well!

DoubleDose

[Trish77]

Interesting article.  Yet another factor for the implications of treating sooner than later, at least to me.

This part makes me think:

""The second issue is it underscores the importance (of) developing new treatment for hepatitis C so we can prevent infection of the brain," said Power, whose research is funded by Alberta Innovates — Health Solutions and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research."

What happens once infection of the brain has occurred?  Does eradicating the virus with SVR also cure the infection to the brain?  Can they measure this?  Makes me wonder.