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Review
. 2013 Mar;10(1):51-8.
doi: 10.1007/s11904-012-0146-4.

Immunity and hepatitis C: a review

Rebecca R Terilli  1 , Andrea L Cox
Affiliations
Review

Immunity and hepatitis C: a review

Rebecca R Terilli et al. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep. 2013 Mar.

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. Due to shared transmission routes, the prevalence of HCV is especially high among individuals infected with HIV. HIV uninfected individuals spontaneously clear HCV approximately 30 % of the time, while the rate of control in HIV infected individuals who subsequently acquire HCV is substantially lower. In addition, complications of HCV are more frequent in those with HIV infection, making liver disease the leading cause of non-AIDS-related death in HIV infected individuals. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the role of the innate and adaptive immune responses to HCV in those with and without HIV. Further defining the interaction between hepatitis C and the host immune system will potentially reveal insights into HCV pathogenesis and the host's ability to prevent persistent infection, as well as direct the development of vaccines.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Immune Response to Hepatitis C Infection
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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