title: Hepatitis C virus-specific cytotoxic T cell response restoration after treatment-induced hepatitis C virus control.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific cytotoxic T cell (CTL) response plays a major role in viral control during spontaneous infection resolution. These cells develop an exhausted and pro-apoptotic status during chronic onset, being unable to get rid of HCV. The role of this response in contributing to sustained viral response (SVR) after anti-HCV is controversial. Recent studies show that after successful interferon-based anti-HCV treatment, HCV traces are still detectable and this correlates with a peak of HCV-specific CTL response activation, probably responsible for maintaining SVR by subsequent complete HCV clearing. Moreover, SVR patients' serum is still able to induce HCV infection in naïve chimpanzees, suggesting that the infection could be under the control of the immune system after a successful treatment, being transmissible in absence of this adaptive response. At least theoretically, treatment-induced viral load decrease could allow an effective HCV-specific CTL response reestablishment. This effect has been recently described with anti-HCV interferon-free regimes, based on direct-acting antivirals. Nevertheless, this is to some extent controversial with interferon-based therapies, due to the detrimental immunoregulatory α-interferon effect on T cells. Moreover, HCV-specific CTL response features during anti-HCV treatment could be a predictive factor of SVR that could have clinical implications in patient management. In this review, the recent knowledge about the role of HCV-specific CTL response in the development of SVR after anti-HCV treatment is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Juan-Ramón Larrubia, Elia Moreno-Cubero, Joaquín Miquel, Eduardo Sanz-de-Villalobos, Translational Hepatology Unit, Guadalajara University Hospital, University of Alcalá, 19002 Guadalajara, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan-Ramón
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Larrubia
authors.affiliation: Juan-Ramón Larrubia, Elia Moreno-Cubero, Joaquín Miquel, Eduardo Sanz-de-Villalobos, Translational Hepatology Unit, Guadalajara University Hospital, University of Alcalá, 19002 Guadalajara, Spain.
authors.forename: Elia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moreno-Cubero
authors.affiliation: Juan-Ramón Larrubia, Elia Moreno-Cubero, Joaquín Miquel, Eduardo Sanz-de-Villalobos, Translational Hepatology Unit, Guadalajara University Hospital, University of Alcalá, 19002 Guadalajara, Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miquel
authors.affiliation: Juan-Ramón Larrubia, Elia Moreno-Cubero, Joaquín Miquel, Eduardo Sanz-de-Villalobos, Translational Hepatology Unit, Guadalajara University Hospital, University of Alcalá, 19002 Guadalajara, Spain.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sanz-de-Villalobos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007372:Interferons
keywords: Apoptosis; Chronic hepatitis; Direct-acting antivirals; Exhaustion; Hepatitis C virus; Hepatitis C virus-specific cytotoxic T cell response; Interferon-alpha; Ribavirin; Treatment
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