The successful control of HBV infection requires an efficient expansion of distinct elements of the adaptive immune system (B cells, helper and cytotoxic T cells) that, due to the hepatotropic nature of HBV, need to operate in the liver parenchyma. In this respect, we will discuss broad features of HBV immunity in patients with resolved or chronic HBV infection and analyze how the liver environ...

Abstract B-cells inducing antigen-specific immune responses in vivo produce large amounts of antibodies by recognizing the subregions (epitope regions) antigen proteins. They can inhibit their functioning binding to Predicting epitope regions is beneficial for design and development vaccines aimed induce antibody production. However, prediction accuracy requires improvement. The conventional re...

background: due to their similar routes of transmission, human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) and hepatitis b virus (hbv) co-infection occurs considerably. hbv infection progresses more rapidly in hiv-infected patients. therefore, hbv vaccination of all non-immune hiv infected patients is recommended. on the other hand, hiv-infected subjects have suboptimal responses to hbv vaccine. in this study...

BACKGROUND The status of immunocompromised patients is well recognized in end stage renal disease (ESRD). As described recently, this acquired immune dysfunction in the uremic milieu may be one of the main pathogenic factors for mortality in ESRD. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the immune response following a hepatitis B vaccination (HBV vaccination) and the sur...

Immune escape variants of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) represent an emerging clinical challenge, because they can be associated with vaccine escape, HBV reactivation, and failure of diagnostic tests. Recent data suggest a preferential selection of immune escape mutants in distinct peripheral blood leukocyte compartments of infected individuals. We therefore systematically analyzed the functional...

Background and Aims: chronic HBV infection is one of the most common viral infections in worldwide which many factors such as genetic factors are involved in pathogenesis of disease. Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and its receptor (INFGR) play a critical role in the immune response to HBV infection. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are effective on level of gene expression, The aim of thi...

BACKGROUND Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a dynamic disease that may be affected by immune changes in pregnancy. Guidelines suggest consideration of nucleos/tide analogs (NA), i.e., tenofovir, (TDF) in highly viremic mothers to reduce vertical transmission risk. HBV variability affects CHB outcome, but little is known about HBV genetic changes in pregnancy due to immune or NA selection. OBJECTI...

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B is an immune response-mediated disease. The aim of this study was to explore the differences of ratios of T-helper (Th) 2 cells to Th1 cells and cytokine levels in acute hepatitis B (AHB) patients and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients in immune-tolerance and immune-active phases. METHODS Thirty chronic HBV-infected patients in the immune-tolerant phase (...

Liver-induced systemic immune tolerance that occurs during chronic hepadnavirus infection is the biggest obstacle for effective viral clearance. Immunotherapeutic reversal of this tolerance is a promising strategy in the clinic but remains to be explored. In this study, using a hepatitis B virus (HBV)-carrier mouse model, we report that IL-12-based vaccination therapy can efficiently reverse sy...

BACKGROUND Amino acid (AA) changes in specific hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) regions were assessed in patients infected with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) after a 12-month untreated period and after receiving antiviral therapy (interferon, lamivudine or adefovir dipivoxil), and in inactive hepatitis B surface antigen-positive carriers. METHODS Samples corresponding to different time points in ...