title: Host-virus interactions in hepatitis B virus infection.
abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a noncytopathic, hepatotropic, double-stranded DNA virus that causes acute and chronic hepatitis. Although HBV does not induce a measurable innate immune response in the infected liver, the outcome of infection is determined by the kinetics, breadth, vigor, trafficking, and effector functions of HBV-specific adaptive T cell responses, and the development of neutralizing antibodies. Dysregulation of one or more of these events leads to persistent HBV infection and a variably severe chronic necroinflammatory liver disease that fosters the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Deeper understanding of the mechanisms responsible for immunological tolerance to HBV is needed in order to devise immunotherapeutic strategies to cure chronic HBV infection and prevent its life-threatening sequelae.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Guidotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kawasumi 1, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isogawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. Electronic address: fchisari@scripps.edu.
authors.forename: Francis V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Chisari
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000818:Animals; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000502:physiology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D056747:Immunomodulation; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism