title: Chronic HCV infection and inflammation: Clinical impact on hepatic and extra-hepatic manifestations.
abstract: The liver has a central role in regulating inflammation by its capacity to secrete a number of proteins that control both local and systemic inflammatory responses. Chronic inflammation or an exaggerated inflammatory response can produce detrimental effects on target organs. Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes liver inflammation by complex and not yet well-understood molecular pathways, including direct viral effects and indirect mechanisms involving cytokine pathways, oxidative stress and steatosis induction. An increasing body of evidence recognizes the inflammatory response in chronic hepatitis C as pathogenically linked to the development of both liver-limited injury (fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma) and extrahepatic HCV-related diseases (lymphoproliferative disease, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular and brain disease). Defining the complex mechanisms of HCV-induced inflammation could be crucial to determine the global impact of infection, to estimate progression of the disease, and to explore novel therapeutic approaches to avert HCV-related diseases. This review focuses on HCV-related clinical conditions as a result of chronic liver and systemic inflammatory states.
authors.affiliation: Rosa Zampino, Aldo Marrone, Division of Internal Medicine and Hepatology, Second University of Naples Polyclinic Hospital, 80100 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zampino
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marrone
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Restivo
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guerrera
authors.forename: Ausilia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sellitto
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: Ciro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Luigi E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Adinolfi
keywords: Cytokines; Extra-hepatic diseases; Hepatic disease; Hepatitis C virus; Inflammation; Oxidative stress