Article
Genetics & Heredity
Meritxell Llorens-Revull, Josep Gregori, Cristina Dopazo, Francisco Rodriguez-Frias, Damir Garcia-Cehic, Maria Eugenia Soria, Qian Chen, Ariadna Rando, Celia Perales, Juan Ignacio Esteban, Josep Quer, Itxarone Bilbao
Summary: Cirrhosis caused by chronic HCV infection is a common indication for liver transplantation, requiring prompt treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Post-LT HCV reinfection patterns vary, and quasispecies complexity is not predictive of liver damage progression. Higher VL values post-LT, particularly at day 15, may predict fast liver fibrosis progression, independent of fibrosis stage.
Article
Virology
Birthe Reinecke, Nicola Frericks, Chris Lauber, Katja Dinkelborg, Alina Matthaei, Florian W. R. Vondran, Patrick Behrendt, Sibylle Haid, Richard J. P. Brown, Thomas Pietschmann
Summary: The liver is an immunoprivileged organ with enhanced resistance to immune responses. This study shows that CD302 contributes to liver cell-intrinsic defense against HCV and might mediate broader antiviral defenses against additional hepatotropic viruses.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Daniela Alejandra Rios, Paola Cecilia Casciato, Maria Soledad Caldirola, Maria Isabel Gaillard, Cecilia Giadans, Beatriz Ameigeiras, Elena Noemi De Matteo, Maria Victoria Preciado, Pamela Valva
Summary: The study evaluated the role of immune cell populations and cytokines in chronic hepatitis C pathogenesis in the liver and peripheral blood. Results showed intercorrelations between different immune cell populations, while abnormal levels of peripheral cytokines were associated with global disease occurrence.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Dennis McDuffie, David Barr, Ashutosh Agarwal, Emmanuel Thomas
Summary: Viral hepatitis is a major cause of liver disease and mortality, and its mechanisms of virus clearance are poorly understood. Conventional 2D cell culture models fail to maintain hepatocyte functionality, thus necessitating the use of physiomimetic microsystems. These microsystems recreate the microenvironment of liver cells, improving their biological functionality. For the study of viral hepatitis infection, physiomimetic platforms can help prolong the functionality of hepatocytes, enabling sustained in vitro infection for studying virus-host interactions.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Virology
Hui-Chun Li, Chee-Hing Yang, Shih-Yen Lo
Summary: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to the development of chronic liver diseases and other extra-hepatic diseases. HCV relies on host cells for replication and can manipulate host cellular factors to facilitate its replication. Dysregulation of cellular factors, including microRNAs (miRNAs), has been observed during HCV infection. These dysregulated miRNAs can directly or indirectly modulate HCV replication and induce liver diseases. Some dysregulated miRNAs have been identified as biomarkers for the detection of HCV infection and related diseases. This review provides a summary of the identified miRNAs involved in HCV replication and pathogenesis, with a focus on recent developments.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Jose Carlos Rodrigues Nascimento, Lianna C. Pereira, Juliana Magalhaes C. Rego, Ronaldo P. Dias, Paulo Goberlanio B. Silva, Silvio Alencar C. Sobrinho, Gustavo R. Coelho, Ivelise Regina C. Brasil, Edmilson F. Oliveira-Filho, James S. Owen, Pierluigi Toniutto, Reinaldo B. Oria
Summary: This study aimed to determine the impact of APOE alleles on outcomes in HCV-infected patients with liver cirrhosis following orthotopic liver transplantation. The results suggest that the E4 allele may protect against progression of liver fibrosis and degree of inflammation in these patients.
WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Masaaki Hidaka, Susumu Eguchi, Kiyoshi Hasegawa, Tsuyoshi Shimamura, Etsuro Hatano, Hideki Ohdan, Taizo Hibi, Yasushi Hasegawa, Junichi Kaneko, Ryoichi Goto, Hiroto Egawa, Hidetoshi Eguchi, Kunihisa Tsukada, Hiroshi Yotsuyanagi, Akihiko Soyama, Takanobu Hara, Mitsuhisa Takatsuki
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of liver transplantation (LT) for patients co-infected with HCV/HIV and found that sustained viral response (SVR) for HCV had the highest impact on patient survival. Achieving SVR for HCV before or after LT is crucial for better transplantation outcomes in these patients.
HEPATOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Jordan J. Feld, Julie Bruneau, Gregory J. Dore, Marc G. Ghany, Bettina Hansen, Mark Sulkowski, David L. Thomas
Summary: The design of a clinical trial for a controlled human infection model (CHIM) to accelerate hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine development requires careful consideration. The design of a potential approach to HCV CHIM is outlined, involving initial sentinel cohorts to establish the safety and curability of the viral inoculum followed by larger cohorts to establish the spontaneous clearance rate for each inoculum. Additional considerations are discussed, including the populations to be enrolled, the required monitoring approach, indications for antiviral therapy, and the required sample size for different CHIM approaches. Finally, safety considerations for CHIM participants are discussed.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Laura Collignon, Lieven Verhoye, Renate Hakze-Van der Honing, Wim H. M. Van der Poel, Philip Meuleman
Summary: The hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes 20 million infections annually worldwide, with immunocompromised individuals at risk of developing chronic infections. Human liver-chimeric mice have been instrumental in HEV research, but only two genotypes have been studied in this model. Recent studies show susceptibility of nude Balb/c mice to a HEV-4 strain.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Fenglin Zhao, Xiaoyu Xie, Xu Tan, Hongli Yu, Miaomiao Tian, Huanran Lv, Chengyong Qin, Jianni Qi, Qiang Zhu
Summary: Approximately 250 million people worldwide suffer from chronic Hepatitis B virus infection, leading to significant public health challenges. Despite available vaccines and antiviral drugs, curing chronic hepatitis B remains a distant goal. HBV-encoded proteins, including surface antigen, core antigen, envelope antigen, HBx, and polymerase, play crucial roles in viral persistence and liver pathogenesis, offering potential avenues for new CHB therapies.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Wenjing Zhang, Fan Du, Li Wang, Tao Bai, Xiang Zhou, Heng Mei
Summary: Epidemiological studies have found a connection between hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) over the past decade. The regression of HCV-associated NHL after HCV eradication provides strong evidence for the role of HCV infection in lymphoproliferative diseases. HBV infection has been shown to significantly increase the incidence of NHL. The exact mechanisms of HCV and HBV leading to NHL are still not fully understood, but they involve the effects of viral presence on B lymphocytes.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Safak Guel-Klein, Deana Haxhiraj, Julian Seelig, Anika Kaestner, Julian Hackler, Qian Sun, Raban Arved Heller, Nils Lachmann, Johann Pratschke, Moritz Schmelzle, Lutz Schomburg
Summary: The study reveals that liver cancer patients undergoing transplantation have lower selenium and SELENOP levels compared to healthy subjects, particularly those with ethanol toxicity as the etiology. Non-survivors show a decreasing trend in selenium concentrations, indicating a pronounced selenium deficit in severe liver disease necessitating organ replacement. A recovering selenium status post-surgery is associated with positive prognosis, suggesting that selenium supplementation could support recovery.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Jian-Xin Tang, Kang-Jun Zhang, Tai-Shi Fang, Rui-Hui Weng, Zi-Ming Liang, Xu Yan, Xin Jin, Lin-Jie Xie, Xin-Chen Zeng, Dong Zhao
Summary: This study examines the outcome of ABO-incompatible liver transplantation (ABOi-LT) in HIV-HBV coinfected patients. The results show that ABOi-LT is feasible and safe for HIV-HBV coinfected patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD), with positive intermediate-term outcomes such as decreased HIV viral load and stable liver function.
WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Virology
Martina Gambato, Chiara Manuli, Erica N. Lynch, Sara Battistella, Giacomo Germani, Marco Senzolo, Alberto Zanetto, Alberto Ferrarese, Alessandro Vitale, Enrico Gringeri, Umberto Cillo, Patrizia Burra, Francesco Paolo Russo
Summary: This study investigated the long-term impact of sustained virological response (SVR) on fibrosis progression and patient survival in liver transplantation (LT) recipients treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). The results showed that SVR12 was associated with improvement in hepatic function, liver fibrosis, and post-LT survival, regardless of the baseline fibrosis level. Presence of portal hypertension before DAAs had an impact on patient survival even after SVR12.
Article
Microbiology
Harini Sooryanarain, S. Ansar Ahmed, Xiang-Jin Meng
Summary: The study found that progesterone significantly increases HEV replication in human liver cells, but does not modulate HEV-induced interferon response. PGRMC1/2 receptors affect the levels of HEV-induced IFN-lambda 1 expression via the ERK pathway, resulting in reduced HEV replication.
