Viral Hepatitis: Host Immune Interaction, Pathogenesis and New Therapeutic Strategies

• Published in: Pathogens (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 9; p. 766
• Main Authors: Quirino, Angela, Marascio, Nadia, Branda, Francesco, Ciccozzi, Alessandra, Romano, Chiara, Locci, Chiara, Azzena, Ilenia, Pascale, Noemi, Pavia, Grazia, Matera, Giovanni, Casu, Marco, Sanna, Daria, Giovanetti, Marta, Ceccarelli, Giancarlo, Alaimo di Loro, Pierfrancesco, Ciccozzi, Massimo, Scarpa, Fabio, Maruotti, Antonello
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 05-09-2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Analysis; Antigens; Asymptomatic; B cells; Cell signaling; Cellular signal transduction; Chronic illnesses; Chronic infection; Cytomegalovirus; Damage detection; Development and progression; Disease prevention; Drug resistance; Environmental factors; Enzymes; Epigenetic inheritance; Epigenetics; Genomes; Health aspects; Hepatitis; Hepatitis A; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis delta virus; Hepatocytes; Host-pathogen interactions; immune evasion mechanisms; Immune response; Immunity (Disease); Immunocompetence; Infection; Infections; Liver; Liver cancer; Liver cirrhosis; Liver diseases; Mortality; Pathogenesis; Pathogens; Proteins; Review; RNA polymerase; therapeutic strategies; Therapeutic targets; Vaccines; viral hepatitis; viral persistence; Viruses; viral hepatitis; viral persistence; host–pathogen interactions; immune evasion mechanisms; therapeutic strategies
• ISSN: 2076-0817; 2076-0817
• DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13090766

Viral hepatitis is a major cause of liver illness worldwide. Despite advances in the understanding of these infections, the pathogenesis of hepatitis remains a complex process driven by intricate interactions between hepatitis viruses and host cells at the molecular level. This paper will examine in detail the dynamics of these host-pathogen interactions, highlighting the key mechanisms that regulate virus entry into the hepatocyte, their replication, evasion of immune responses, and induction of hepatocellular damage. The unique strategies employed by different hepatitis viruses, such as hepatitis B, C, D, and E viruses, to exploit metabolic and cell signaling pathways to their advantage will be discussed. At the same time, the innate and adaptive immune responses put in place by the host to counter viral infection will be analyzed. Special attention will be paid to genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors that modulate individual susceptibility to different forms of viral hepatitis. In addition, this work will highlight the latest findings on the mechanisms of viral persistence leading to the chronic hepatitis state and the potential implications for the development of new therapeutic strategies. Fully understanding the complex host-pathogen interactions in viral hepatitis is crucial to identifying new therapeutic targets, developing more effective approaches for treatment, and shedding light on the mechanisms underlying progression to more advanced stages of liver damage.