title: Role of T cell immunity in hepatitis C virus infections.
abstract: Chronic infections with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are a major global health issue. Viral replication is restricted to hepatocytes, and occurs for decades at high replication rates. Over the last decade, it became accepted that HCV-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells are crucial for protective immunity to HCV. However, a characteristic feature of persistent HCV infection is the dysfunctional T cell response, and over recent years enormous progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms that dampen the antiviral T cell responses in blood and liver of chronic HCV patients and also impact disease progression.
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mark A A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Claassen
authors.forename: Harry L A
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boonstra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*