Immune Mechanisms of Viral Clearance and Disease Pathogenesis During Viral Hepatitis

Ferrari, Carlo; Barili, Valeria; Varchetta, Stefania; Mondelli, Mario U.

doi:10.1002/9781119436812.ch63

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Symptomatic acute infection is rarely observed and recovers spontaneously in about a third of cases. The mechanisms responsible for the chronically evolving infection are still poorly understood, despite the host’s immune responses to HCV having been extensively explored (reviewed in [ 2 ]). One of the reasons that may explain the aura of mystery surrounding HCV is the lack of a reliable animal model of disease that accurately reproduces the natural history of infection in humans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hepatitis C Virus and the Host: A Mutual Endurance Leaving Indelible Scars in the Host’s Immunity

Mondelli,

Ottolini,

Oliviero

et al. 2023

IJMS

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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has spread worldwide, and it is responsible for potentially severe chronic liver disease and primary liver cancer. Chronic infection remains for life if not spontaneously eliminated and viral persistence profoundly impairs the efficiency of the host’s immunity. Attempts have been made to develop an effective vaccine, but efficacy trials have met with failure. The availability of highly efficacious direct-acting antivirals (DAA) has created hope for the progressive elimination of chronic HCV infections; however, this approach requires a monumental global effort. HCV elicits a prompt innate immune response in the host, characterized by a robust production of interferon-α (IFN-α), although interference in IFN-α signaling by HCV proteins may curb this effect. The late appearance of largely ineffective neutralizing antibodies and the progressive exhaustion of T cells, particularly CD8 T cells, result in the inability to eradicate the virus in most infected patients. Moreover, an HCV cure resulting from DAA treatment does not completely restore the normal immunologic homeostasis. Here, we discuss the main immunological features of immune responses to HCV and the epigenetic scars that chronic viral persistence leaves behind.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%