Abstract
Hepatitis C is a worldwide liver disease caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The virus causes acute and chronic liver inflammation, and it is transmitted mainly by exposure to contaminated blood. HCV is capable of infecting hepatocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, causing complications and disease progression. This mini review provides an overview of HCV infection, including details on the virological aspects, infection of the immune cells, and its impact on the immune system.
Highlights
Over 30 years have passed since the discovery of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 1989, which is one of the most common causes of liver disease worldwide [1]
They secrete proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-12, interferon type-1 (IFNα/β), and chemokines such as IL-8 [3,4,5,6]. This stimulates the adaptive immune system through the activation of CD4+ T lymphocytes, which differentiate into T helper (Th)-1 and Th2 cells and leads to the activation and differentiation of T lymphocytes into cytotoxic T cells and the B lymphocytes into plasma cells, the antibody-specific cells (Figure 2) [3,4,5,6]
The increased level of Programmed cell death (PCD) has been shown to be associated with significant up-regulation of caspase 3 expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of individuals with untreated HCV infection and sustained responders compared to healthy controls [12]
Summary
Over 30 years have passed since the discovery of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 1989, which is one of the most common causes of liver disease worldwide [1]. HCV infection causes acute and chronic hepatitis and is the main cause of post-transfusion hepatitis. Seven main HCV genotypes (genotypes 1–7) and many other subtypes have been identified. Genotypes 1 and 2 are the most prevalent HCV genotypes. HCV genotypes 1, 2, and 3 are found in the USA, Europe, and Japan, while genotypes 4 and 5 are found in Africa. This article discusses recent published literature on antiviral therapy for HCV infection, focusing on infection of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and the effects of HCV infection on the immune system
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