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Review
. 2025 Dec;16(1):2492371.
doi: 10.1080/21505594.2025.2492371. Epub 2025 Apr 20.

Innate immune recognition in hepatitis B virus infection

Aixin Li  1 , Zhengjun Yi  1 , Chunqiang Ma  1 , Bangyao Sun  1 , Li Zhao  1 , Xiaoming Cheng  2   3   4   5 , Lixia Hui  1 , Yuchen Xia  2   4   6
Affiliations
Review

Innate immune recognition in hepatitis B virus infection

Aixin Li et al. Virulence. 2025 Dec.

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major global public health challenge, with approximately 254 million individuals chronically infected worldwide. The interaction between HBV and the innate immune system has garnered significant attention within the scientific community, with numerous studies exploring this relationship over the past several decades. While some research suggests that HBV infection activates the host's innate immune response, other studies indicate that HBV suppresses innate immune signaling pathways. These conflicting findings underscore the complexity of the HBV-innate immunity interaction, which remains inadequately understood. This review aims to clarify this interplay by examining it from three perspectives: (a) studies showing HBV activation of innate immunity; (b) evidence suggesting HBV suppression of innate immunity; and (c) findings that support HBV's role as a stealth virus. By synthesizing these perspectives, we aim to deepen the understanding of virus-host interactions that are crucial to HBV persistence and immune evasion, with potential implications for developing new therapeutic strategies for chronic HBV infection.

Keywords: HBV; Hepatitis B virus; hepatocytes; innate immunity; liver non-parenchymal cells.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
HBV life cycle.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Human liver architecture.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Summary of HBV inhibition of IFN-I activation.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
The evidences of HBV as a stealth virus.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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