Lorena Loarca Microbiology and Immunology Graduate Program B.S., Math and Physics Teacher, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala Email: lorena.loarca@drexel.edu Advisor: Dr. Anand Mehta

 Thesis Research Summary:

More than 500 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B or C viruses, which together are considered the 9th leading cause of death worldwide. It has been estimated that every minute 2 to 3 people die of cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as a consequence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Infection with hepatitis B and C, as well as other forms of liver disease such as alcohol-induced liver disease, and nonalcohol-induced steatohepatitis (NASH) are characterized by pattern of chronic liver inflammation, liver cell destruction and regeneration, scarring of the liver (fibrosis) and the eventual development of liver cancer. Surprisingly, the mechanisms by which these diverse agents cause liver disease are not fully known. Recently, it has been discovered that patients with liver fibrosis caused by hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcohol, NASH, or other unknown agents, have a substantial increase in the level of antibodies targeted against the heterophilic alpha gal epitope. The alpha gal epitope is a carbohydrate structure that is produced by non-primate mammals, all gram positive and negative bacteria, but not by humans, apes and Old World monkeys. Immunocompetent individuals normally produce antibodies against this carbohydrate epitope, the alpha-gal antibodies (anti-Gal). Thus our goal is to determine the role of alpha-gal antibodies in the development of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.