Recent Advances in Hepatitis C Virus Cell Entry

More than 170 million patients worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Prevalence rates range from 0.5% in Northern European countries to 28% in some areas of Egypt. HCV is hepatotropic, and in many countries chronic hepatitis C is a leading cause of liver disease including...

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Main Authors: Jean Dubuisson, Birke Bartosch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2010-03-01
Series:Viruses
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/2/3/692/
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author Jean Dubuisson
Birke Bartosch
author_facet Jean Dubuisson
Birke Bartosch
author_sort Jean Dubuisson
collection DOAJ
description More than 170 million patients worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Prevalence rates range from 0.5% in Northern European countries to 28% in some areas of Egypt. HCV is hepatotropic, and in many countries chronic hepatitis C is a leading cause of liver disease including fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV persists in 50–85% of infected patients, and once chronic infection is established, spontaneous clearance is rare. HCV is a member of the Flaviviridae family, in which it forms its own genus. Many lines of evidence suggest that the HCV life cycle displays many differences to that of other Flaviviridae family members. Some of these differences may be due to the close interaction of HCV with its host’s lipid and particular triglyceride metabolism in the liver, which may explain why the virus can be found in association with lipoproteins in serum of infected patients. This review focuses on the molecular events underlying the HCV cell entry process and the respective roles of cellular co-factors that have been implied in these events. These include, among others, the lipoprotein receptors low density lipoprotein receptor and scavenger receptor BI, the tight junction factors occludin and claudin-1 as well as the tetraspanin CD81. We discuss the roles of these cellular factors in HCV cell entry and how association of HCV with lipoproteins may modulate the cell entry process.
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spelling doaj.art-1bf3296e93554f0a957baf782d7781eb2022-12-21T19:50:51ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152010-03-012369270910.3390/v2030692Recent Advances in Hepatitis C Virus Cell EntryJean DubuissonBirke BartoschMore than 170 million patients worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Prevalence rates range from 0.5% in Northern European countries to 28% in some areas of Egypt. HCV is hepatotropic, and in many countries chronic hepatitis C is a leading cause of liver disease including fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV persists in 50–85% of infected patients, and once chronic infection is established, spontaneous clearance is rare. HCV is a member of the Flaviviridae family, in which it forms its own genus. Many lines of evidence suggest that the HCV life cycle displays many differences to that of other Flaviviridae family members. Some of these differences may be due to the close interaction of HCV with its host’s lipid and particular triglyceride metabolism in the liver, which may explain why the virus can be found in association with lipoproteins in serum of infected patients. This review focuses on the molecular events underlying the HCV cell entry process and the respective roles of cellular co-factors that have been implied in these events. These include, among others, the lipoprotein receptors low density lipoprotein receptor and scavenger receptor BI, the tight junction factors occludin and claudin-1 as well as the tetraspanin CD81. We discuss the roles of these cellular factors in HCV cell entry and how association of HCV with lipoproteins may modulate the cell entry process.http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/2/3/692/hepatitis C viruscell entry
spellingShingle Jean Dubuisson
Birke Bartosch
Recent Advances in Hepatitis C Virus Cell Entry
Viruses
hepatitis C virus
cell entry
title Recent Advances in Hepatitis C Virus Cell Entry
title_full Recent Advances in Hepatitis C Virus Cell Entry
title_fullStr Recent Advances in Hepatitis C Virus Cell Entry
title_full_unstemmed Recent Advances in Hepatitis C Virus Cell Entry
title_short Recent Advances in Hepatitis C Virus Cell Entry
title_sort recent advances in hepatitis c virus cell entry
topic hepatitis C virus
cell entry
url http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/2/3/692/
work_keys_str_mv AT jeandubuisson recentadvancesinhepatitiscviruscellentry
AT birkebartosch recentadvancesinhepatitiscviruscellentry