- OZONE- HEPATITIS

Hepatitis

The treatment of hepatitis is one of the most important aspects of using ozone therapy. In this case a therapeutic effect of ozone develops both through its direct action on the virus and indirectly through its immunomodulating action. Ozone therapy is effective in treating all types of viral hepatitis - A, B, C, particularly its chronic forms.

Ozone affects the polypeptide chains of virus membrane therefore making it unable to adhere to target cells (hepatocytes) as well as changes the activity of reverse transcriptase enzyme involved in the synthesis of virus proteins and thereby blockades a reproductive cycle of virus (Freberg, Carpendale, 1988). The capsulated viruses are more sensitive to ozone as the capsule contains more lipids, which easily react with ozone. Additional supply of peroxides induced by ozone considerably intensifies the cell phagocytic activity always decreased in hepatitis.

Ozone therapy activates both the cellular and humoral immunity. Ozone therapy induces an increase in the formation of cytokines, in particular interferon, one of the most important factors of the endogenous organism's defense against viral infection that results in an increase in the synthesis of T-killers, which are responsible for the humoral immunity, normalization in the formation of T-helpers regulating the function of B-lymphocytes, which in turn produce immunoglobulins. The above-mentioned leads to suppression and elimination of the inflammatory process.

Ozone exerts a positive influence on the haemostasis by inducing a decrease in the thrombocyte aggregability, an increase in the fibrinolytic activity and hypocoagulation of blood that prevents the development of secondary reactive inflammation: micronecrosis and microthrombosis.

Active oxygen increases the elasticity and deformability of the erythrocytes thus improving their oxygen-transport function and accordingly microcirculation and oxygenation of the tissues. It comes to elimination of misbalance between the oxidative free-radical processes and synthesis of endogenous antioxidants.
In alcohol-induced hepatitis the formation of peroxides induced by ozone initiates the antioxidant detoxication mechanism of the glutathione system, which plays a defending role in the hepatocyte when the lipid peroxidation processes are activated.

The recommended methods of ozone therapy:

·       Major autohaemotherapy with ozone;

·       Intravenous drop-by-drop infusions of ozonated saline solution;

·       Rectal ozone insufflations;

·       Minor autohaemotherapy with ozone

After the treatment course it comes to positive dynamics of biochemical and immunological indices of blood (increase in the hyperbilirubinemia, indices of AcAT, ALAT, alkaline phosphotase, normalization of albumin-stimulating function), disappearance of viremia in 60% of cases (A.V. Zmyzglova, N.P. Isaeva, 1998). It comes to inhibition of lipid peroxidation processes and at the same time activation of the antioxidant defense system.

It comes to a considerable improvement in the indices of systemic and intrahepatic microcirculation according to the data of rheohepatography and biomicroscopy (V.V. Nedogoda, O.Yu. Sviridenko, 2000). It is important to note that the treatment is well tolerated by patients; any aggravations or complications have been not established. Ozone therapy in the treatment of hepatitis can be used as a complementary method or monotherapy. It is necessary parallel to use antioxidants.