Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are primary risk factors for a wide spectrum of liver diseases that severely affect human health. The liver is an immunological organ that has an abundance of immune cells. Thus, various innate or adaptive immune cells are involved in the progression of HBV or HCV infection. Among those cells, a unique kind of immune cell, the γδ T cell, contributes to promoting or inhibiting the progression of liver diseases. To reveal the diverse roles of γδ T cells in HBV or HCV infection, the properties and functions of these cells in human and mouse models are analyzed. Here, we briefly describe the characteristics and functions of γδ T cells subsets in liver diseases. Then, we fully discuss the diverse roles of γδ T cells in the progression of HBV or HCV infection, including stages of acute infection, chronic infection, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Finally, the functions and existing problems of γδ T cells in HBV or HCV infection are summarized. A better understanding of the function of γδ T cells during the progression of HBV and HCV infection will be helpful for the treatment of virus infection.
Highlights
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are major risk factors for a wide spectrum of liver diseases
The persistent inflammatory environment in chronic HBV (CHB) or chronic HCV (CHC) infection patients is associated with the elevated expression of a-smooth muscle actin and collagen fibers in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which develop into liver cirrhosis [2,3,4]
IL-17-producing Vg4 T cells subsets promote the progression of CHB, LC and Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
Summary
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are major risk factors for a wide spectrum of liver diseases. Aside from hepatocytes and stellate cells, there are various hepatic residential immune cells, including Küpffer cells (hepatic macrophages), T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and dendritic cells [6] These cells play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of HBV or HCV infection. Hepatic gd T cells usually include Vg1, Vg4, and Vg6 in mice and Vd1, Vd2, and Vd3 in humans [13,14,15] These cells can produce cytokines such as IFN-g, TNF-a, IL-17, and IL-22, as well as express cytotoxic and regulatory molecules such as Granzyme B (GrB), perforin, NK receptor, and Toll-like receptors [16]. During other stages of HBV and HCV infections (chronic infection, liver cirrhosis, and HCC), these cells can inhibit or promote progression of the diseases. To determine the precise role of these cells, we summarize the functions of different human and mouse gd T cells subsets in the different stages of HBV and HCV infections. We indicate the opportunities and challenges in clinical application of gd T cells
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