Billerbeck Eva, Bottler Tobias, Thimme Robert
Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany.
World J Gastroenterol. 2007 Sep 28;13(36):4858-64. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i36.4858.
The pathogenesis and outcome of viral infections are significantly influenced by the host immune response. The immune system is able to eliminate many viruses in the acute phase of infection. However, some viruses, like hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV), can evade the host immune responses and establish a persistent infection. HCV and HBV persistence is caused by various mechanisms, like subversion of innate immune responses by viral factors, the emergence of T cell escape mutations, or T cell dysfunction and suppression. Recently, it has become evident that regulatory T cells may contribute to the pathogenesis and outcome of viral infections by suppressing antiviral immune responses. Indeed, the control of HCV and HBV specific immune responses mediated by regulatory T cells may be one mechanism that favors viral persistence, but it may also prevent the host from overwhelming T cell activity and liver damage. This review will focus on the role of regulatory T cells in viral hepatitis.
病毒感染的发病机制和转归受到宿主免疫反应的显著影响。免疫系统能够在感染急性期清除许多病毒。然而，一些病毒，如丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）和乙型肝炎病毒（HBV），能够逃避宿主免疫反应并建立持续感染。HCV和HBV的持续感染是由多种机制引起的，如病毒因子对固有免疫反应的破坏、T细胞逃逸突变的出现，或T细胞功能障碍及抑制。最近，有证据表明调节性T细胞可能通过抑制抗病毒免疫反应而在病毒感染的发病机制和转归中发挥作用。事实上，调节性T细胞介导的对HCV和HBV特异性免疫反应的控制可能是有利于病毒持续感染的一种机制，但它也可能防止宿主出现过度的T细胞活性和肝损伤。本综述将聚焦于调节性T细胞在病毒性肝炎中的作用。
