Abstract
simply reflect the host's response to foreign antigens. Relevant biological roles for antiviral antibodies include complement-mediated and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytolysis, virus neutralization, formation of immune complexes with viral polypeptides, which may enhance or inhibit antigen presentation to T helper (Th) cells, and masking of viral protein domains involved in specific host cell receptor interactions, thus potentially inhi- biting viral penetration into susceptible cells. Human hepatitis viruses generate a wide array of humoral immune responses to structural and non-structural polypeptides, some of which have been shown to reflect the involvement of cellular immune responses in the pathogenesis of liver disease, while others contribute to viral neutralization and clearance. In this respect, humoral immune responses to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) have been studied in considerable detail as these agents show a marked propensity to cause chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. In this article we shall discuss recent advances in the understand- ing of antibody responses in HBV and HCV infections.
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