Chronic hepatitis C virus infection and pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the major causes of advanced liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. While the knowledge about the molecular virology of HCV infection has markedly advanced, the molecular mechanisms of disease progression leading to fibrosis, cirrhosis and HCC are still unclear. Accumulating experimental and clinical studies indicate that HCV may drive hepatocarcinogenesis directly via its proteins or transcripts, and/or indirectly through induction of chronic liver inflammation. Despite the possibility to eradicate HCV infection through direct-acting antiviral treatment, the risk of HCC persists although specific biomarkers to estimate this risk are still missing. Thus, a better understanding of HCV-induced HCC and more physiological liver disease models are required to prevent cancer development.

Epidemiology of Chronic Hepatitis C Infections at a Tertiary Care Centre in Oman

“…1 Unfortunately, liver cirrhosis and HCC rates are nevertheless expected to continue rising among HCVinfected patients as many cases remain undiagnosed and risk factors go unrecognised. 3,4 Screening programmes to enhance the early detection of infected patients and improve prevention strategies have been proven to reduce HCV-associated morbidity and mortality. 5 Most patients with acute HCV infections remain asymptomatic; as such, progression to a chronic subclinical infection is very common.…”

Viral persistence, liver disease, and host response in a hepatitis C–like virus rat model

“…The acute phase of HCV infection in humans is generally asymptomatic with the exception of mild elevations in serum ALT levels indicating liver injury . After several years of chronic infection, some of these patients develop liver diseases including chronic hepatitis, steatosis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma . The variables that can dictate or contribute to these differences remain unknown, largely due to lack of a fully immunocompetent tractable model.…”

Assessing the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma by combining liver stiffness and the controlled attenuation parameter

“…The development of HCC depends on various factors, including etiology, race, ethnicity, region, sex, age, diabetes mellitus (DM), and so on. However, the presence of advanced liver fibrosis is the most important and common risk factor in CLD patients . Thus, it is of great interest to accurately evaluate the stage of liver fibrosis in a quantitative way.…”

“…However, the presence of advanced liver fibrosis is the most important and common risk factor in CLD patients. [4][5][6] Thus, it is of great interest to accurately evaluate the stage of liver fibrosis in a quantitative way. Ultrasonography (US) has been the most common method used to evaluate the degree of CLD in daily medical practice worldwide.…”