title: [Pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus infection].
abstract: The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Chronic hepatitis C is a mayor cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and HCV-related end-stage liver disease is, in many countries, the first cause of liver transplantation. HCV infection is characterized by its propensity to chronicity. Because of its high genetic variability, HCV has the capability to escape the immune response of the host. HCV is not directly cytopathic and liver lesions are mainly related to immune-mediated mechanisms that are characterized by a predominant type 1 helper cell response. Co-factor influencing the outcome of the disease including age, gender and alcohol consumption are poorly understood and other factors such as immunologic and genetic factors may play and important role. Recent studies have shown that the combination therapy with alpha interferon and ribavirin induces a sustained virological response in about 40% of patients with chronic hepatitis C. The lack of animal models and of in vitro cultures systems hampers the understanding of the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C and the development of new antivirals. The conjugation of polyethyleneglycol improved the pharmacodynamics and the efficacy of alpha interferon. The development of an effective vaccine remains the most difficult challenge. Because of the high protein variability of HCV, protective vaccines could be extremely difficult to produce and therapeutic vaccines seem more realistic. Considerable progress has been made in the field of HCV since its discovery 10 years ago but a major effort needs to be made in the next decade to control HCV-related disease.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montaño-Loza
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meza-Junco
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Remes-Troche
mesh_terms: D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans
vernacular_title: Patogénesis de la infección por virus de hepatitis C.