Chronic HCV Infection and Inflammation: Clinical Impact on Hepatic and Extra-hepatic Manifestations

Overview

Journal World J Hepatol

Publisher Baishideng Publishing Group

Specialty Gastroenterology

Date 2013 Nov 2

PMID 24179612

Citations 97

Authors

Rosa Zampino

Aldo Marrone

Luciano Restivo

Barbara Guerrera

Ausilia Sellitto

Luca Rinaldi

Ciro Romano

Luigi E Adinolfi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

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.

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