Circulating and Exosome-Packaged Hepatitis C Single-Stranded RNA Induce Monocyte Differentiation via TLR7/8 to Polarized Macrophages and Fibrocytes.

ABSTRACT: Monocytes and macrophages (MΦs) play a central role in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The tissue microenvironment triggers monocyte differentiation into MΦs, with polarization ranging within the spectrum of M1 (classical) to M2 (alternative) activation. Recently, we demonstrated that HCV infection leads to monocyte differentiation into polarized MΦs that mediate stellate cell activation via TGF-β. In this study, we aimed to identify the viral factor(s) that mediate monocyte-to-MΦ differentiation. We performed coculture experiments using healthy monocytes with exosome-packaged HCV, cell-free HCV, or HCV ssRNA. Coculture of monocytes with exosome-packaged HCV, cell-free HCV, or HCV ssRNA induced differentiation into MΦs with high M2 surface marker expression a

SUBMITTER: Saha B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5322233 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature