Scientists have reported the discovery of unusual liver proteins, found only in males, that may help explain the long-standing mystery of why the hepatitis B virus (HBV) sexually discriminates, hitting men harder than women.
The researchers note that chronic hepatitis B seems to progress and cause liver damage faster in men, with men the main victims of the virus’s most serious complications, cirrhosis and liver cancer. Men infected with hepatitis B virus also are 6 times more likely than women to develop a chronic form of the disease. About 400 million people worldwide have chronic hepatitis B, including a form that is highly infectious and can be transmitted through blood, saliva, and sexual contact.
Image: Hepatitis B particles as viewed under an electron microscope.
In experiments with laboratory mice, the scientists found abnormal forms of apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I), a protein involved in fighting inflammation, in the livers of infected male mice but not infected females. They then identified abnormal forms of these Apo A-I proteins in blood of men infected with hepatitis B virus, but not in women. In addition to explaining the gender differences, the proteins may provide important markers for tracking the progression of hepatitis B, the scientists suggest.
References:
1. Shuhan Sun, et al. An altered pattern of liver apolipoprotein A-I is implicated in male chronic hepatitis B progression. J. Proteome Res., 2010, 9 (1), pp 134-143. DOI: 10.1021/pr900593r
