Restoration of HCV-Specific Immune Responses with Antiviral Therapy: A Case for DAA Treatment in Acute HCV Infection.

ABSTRACT: Worldwide, 71 million individuals are chronically infected with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). Chronic HCV infection can lead to potentially fatal outcomes including liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV-specific immune responses play a major role in viral control and may explain why approximately 20% of infections are spontaneously cleared before the establishment of chronicity. Chronic infection, associated with prolonged antigen exposure, leads to immune exhaustion of HCV-specific T cells. These exhausted T cells are unable to control the viral infection. Before the introduction of direct acting antivirals (DAAs), interferon (IFN)-based therapies demonstrated successful clearance of viral infection in approximately 50% of treated patients. New effective and well-tolerated DAAs lea

SUBMITTER: Casey JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6523849 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature