Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are hepatotropic viruses that establish chronic persistent infection by effectively escaping the host immune response and can cause immune-mediated liver injury. It has recently become apparent that regulatory T (Treg) cells, specifically CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells, modulate viral diseases by suppressing antiviral immune responses and regulati...

conclusions fulminant hepatitis b is associated with distinct mutational patterns of hbv, underlining that genomic diversity of the virus is an important factor determining its pathogenicity. results the most commonly detected diversities affect regulatory motifs of hbv in the core and s region, indicating that these alterations may convert the virus to an aggressive strain. moreover, mutations...

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is common in individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus, and coinfection is associated with higher rates of HBV replication and more rapid liver disease progression than HBV monoinfection. This study evaluates the prevalence and virological profiles of hepatitis B infection in a cohort of long term survivors, with multiple antiretroviral treatments....

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases associated with various human liver diseases, including acute, fulminant and chronic hepatitis; liver cirrhosis; and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite the availability of an HBV vaccine and the development of antiviral therapies, there are still more than 350 million chronically infected people worldwide, approxi...

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a DNA virus that infects the liver as primary target. Currently, a high affinity receptor for HBV is still unknown. The dendritic cell specific C-type lectin DC-SIGN is involved in pathogen recognition through mannose and fucose containing carbohydrates leading to the induction of an anti-viral immune response. Many glycosylated viruses subvert this immune surveillanc...

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B vaccination is the most important tool available for preventing hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and reducing the prevalence of infection. However, epidemiological studies have demonstrated that morethan 5% of patients exhibit a non- or hypo-response to the HBV vaccine. Genetic variations associated with T cell immunity contribute to the immune response to HBV vaccinatio...

The absence of readily manipulable experimental systems to study the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response against hepatitis B virus (HBV) antigens has thus far precluded a definitive demonstration of the role played by this response in the pathogenesis of liver cell injury and viral clearance during HBV infection. To circumvent the problem that HBV infection of human cells in vitro for product...

Clearance of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), a noncytopathic double-stranded DNA virus, requires the coordinated response of innate and adaptive, humoral and cellular immune systems. In more than 90% of immunocompetent adults who become infected, this immune response is quite vigorous, resulting in acute, self-limited hepatitis with rapid reduction of viral load and long-lasting, protective humora...