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Chapter-04 Host Immunity and Clinical Outcome and HBV-Infection

BOOK TITLE: Comprehensive Textbook of Hepatitis B

Author
1. Wang Fu-Sheng
2. Zhang Zheng
ISBN
9789350250815
DOI
10.5005/jp/books/11250_4
Edition
1/e
Publishing Year
2011
Pages
20
Author Affiliations
1. Research Centre for Biological Therapy, Beijing 302 Hospital Beijing, China
2. Research Centre for Biological Therapy, Beijing 302 Hospital Beijing, China
Chapter keywords

Abstract

The most confusing aspect of HBV pathogenesis is the impact of HBV on host immunity. Host immunity determines the course of HBV infection, degree of liver damages, future complications, and also response to therapy. Fore long, it has been assumed that HBV induces a state of decreased immune responses in infected host; a fact that is neither correct nor has never been supported by credible experimental evidences. It is now well documented that immune responses of HBV-infected patients are equally responsible for viral suppression as well as for inducing liver damages; it acts as a double-edged sword. This is especially important in the context of development of therapy against chronic HBV infection. This is not only related to development of immune therapy or alternative therapeutic approaches, but these facts are equally important to ascertain the response to antiviral drugs. Also, host immunity is important to develop more potent HB vaccine that would be effective in all subjects and against all HBV genotypes. A comprehensive description of these highly controversial matters would be found in this chapter. This section has compiled most recent investigations about host immunity in HBV-infected subjects. Extensive discussion has been made about role of innate and adaptive immunity in chronic HBV infections. More importantly, relations between extent and nature of host immunity with degrees of liver damages have been shown in clinical settings.

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