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Current progress in host innate and adaptive immunity against hepatitis C virus infection

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Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects more than 170 million people worldwide and is the main cause of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although the newly developed direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have transformed the treatment of HCV infection, controlling HCV infection on a global scale remains a challenge because of the high cost, low resistance barrier of DAAs and lack of HCV vaccine. The host immune responses associated with HCV infection, especially HCV-specific T cellular immunity, determine the outcome of HCV infection: either acute or chronic infection. It is important to fully interpret the immunopathogenesis of HCV infection and consequently to exploit effective strategies to eliminate HCV. Here, we review the current progress in HCV immunology, which will deepen our understanding of the spectrum of HCV infection and immunity in humans.

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Author notes

  1. Jijing Shi and Yuanyuan Li have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Infectious Diseases, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, 100039, China

    Jijing Shi, Yuanyuan Li & Fu-Sheng Wang

  2. Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, 233000, China

    Wenxian Chang

  3. Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 460000, China

    Xuexiu Zhang

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  1. Jijing Shi
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  2. Yuanyuan Li
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Correspondence to Fu-Sheng Wang.

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Conflict of interest

Yuanyuan Li has received research Grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81601731). Jijing Shi, Yuanyuan Li, Wenxian Chang, Xuexiu Zhang and Fu-Sheng Wang declare no conflict of interests.

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Shi, J., Li, Y., Chang, W. et al. Current progress in host innate and adaptive immunity against hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatol Int 11, 374–383 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12072-017-9805-2

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