Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 5
Hepatitis Viruses, Signaling Events and
Modulation of the Innate Host Response
Syed Mohammad Moin, Anindita Kar-Roy
and Shahid Jameel*
Viruses and their vertebrate hosts have co-evolved for millions of years. While
the host has developed an immune system to deal with invading pathogens,
including viruses, the latter have developed counter strategies. The host
response comprises an early nonspecific innate system and an antigen-specific
adaptive immune system. Accordingly, viruses have also evolved strategies to
overcome these, based largely on modulation of host signaling pathways. Here
we outline components of the innate host response and cell death and survival
strategies, and summarize work on how hepatitis viruses modulate these
responses. At least five separate viral agents are known to cause hepatitis, lead-
ing to significant human morbidity and mortality. Their spectrum ranges from
acute and self-limited infections to those that become chronic and stay with the
host for its entire lifespan. This varied presentation of viral hepatitis is rational-
ized here in terms of the virus' ability to deal with the innate host response.
Viral hepatitis is an ancient disease that had been recorded in early
Babylonian, Greek and Chinese scriptures. 1 “Hepatitis,” which means
inflammation of the liver, is not a single disease, but is caused by a
spectrum of agents, viral or otherwise. It was not until 1969 that
the first human hepatitis virus — the hepatitis B virus (HBV) — was
* Virology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna
Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India.
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