Induction of Selenoprotein P mRNA during Hepatitis C Virus Infection Inhibits RIG-I-Mediated Antiviral Immunity.
- Journal:
- Cell Host & Microbe
- Published:
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.chom.2019.02.015
- Affiliations:
- 4
- Authors:
- 16
Research Highlight
Gene link found between hepatitis C and diabetes
© KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
People with hepatitis C produce higher levels of a liver protein that makes them more susceptible to acquiring type 2 diabetes, researchers at Kanazawa University have shown.
A viral liver infection that can lead to serious liver damage and liver cancer, hepatitis C is a major global health concern, with about 70 million chronic sufferers worldwide.
People infected with the virus have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but it hasn’t been clear why this is so.
Now, a team at Kanazawa University has found a link between the hepatitis C virus and type 2 diabetes. They discovered that hepatitis C patients express more selenoprotein P, a hepatokine linked to insulin resistance; insulin resistance, in turn, causes type 2 diabetes. Selenoprotein P also inhibits immune responses to the hepatitis C virus.
This finding will help researchers develop medication that targets this link.
References
- Cell Host & Microbe 25, 588–601 (2019). doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2019.02.015
| Institutions | Authors | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kanazawa University (KU), Japan | 0.94 | |
| Public Central Hospital of Matto Ishikawa, Japan | 0.06 |