Special Issue "Hepatitis C Pathology"
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2012)
Dr. Birke Bartosch
Centre de recherche en cancérologie de Lyon, UMR 5286, UMR_S 1052, Equipe 15, 151 cours Albert Thomas, 69424 Lyon Cedex 03, France
Phone: +33 472681975
Fax: +33 472681971
Interests: flavivirus; hepatitis C virus; hepatitis B virus; virus-host cell interactions; hepatology; liver physiopathology; antivirals
Worldwide approximately 130 million people are thought to be infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV frequently induces chronic liver disease and on the long term cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The major clinical manifestations of chronic hepatitis C comprise steatosis, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Mounting evidence suggests that HCV reprograms it’s host metabolism and modulates immune responses. These alterations contribute to the establishment of a liver microenvironment that is favorable for persistent viral replication, but that is also characterized by increased levels of oxidative stress, altered cytokine patterns and inflammatory responses that can trigger auto-immunity as well as fibrosis and ultimately hepatocarcinogenesis. Unraveling the interactions between HCV and its host and the consequential effects on the liver microenvironment and disease progression is an important task in the field. Understanding these events will help to improve therapy and patient care.
Investigators are invited to contribute original research articles or reviews that help us to understand the molecular pathology of chronic hepatitis C with a particular focus on disease progression in respect to:
- metabolic predisposition and HCV infection
- HCV- induced disturbances of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism
- HCV- induced alterations of the energy and redox systems
- HCV-induced alterations of cytokine signaling
- HCV and autoimmunity
Dr. Birke Bartosch