Quantity and quality of virus-specific CD8 cell response: relevance to the design of a therapeutic vaccine for chronic HBV infection.
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, yet currently available therapies fail to provide long-term control of viral replication in most patients. Strategies to boost the weak virus-specific T-cell response typically found in patients with chronic hepatitis B have been proposed as a means of terminating persistent HBV infection. The potential problems arising from the stimulation of virus-specific immunity in a disease caused by a non-cytopathic virus, where viral control and liver injury are mediated by the immune system, are discussed. Furthermore, the concept of augmenting the HBV-specific T-cell response, which has previously been focused solely on quantitative issues, is expanded in the light of new findings of qualitative differences in the HBV-specific CD8 cell response.
Webster
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G
Centre for Hepatology, Royal Free Campus, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, UK.
Bertoletti
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A
D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015195:Drug Design; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology
D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes