Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Acute and Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection, Immune Response

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Medical Immunology

  • 908 Accesses

Synonyms

APC Antigen-presenting cell; CHB Chronic hepatitis B; HBV Hepatitis B virus

Definition

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a non-cytopathic DNA virus. The immune response to HBV is critically important to define, as it not only has potential to control the virus, but also to mediate liver inflammation and disease.

Immune Response in Acute Hepatitis B Virus Infection

The early immune events leading to clearance or persistence of HBV have been difficult to study. Unlike human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C viruses (HCV), which are detectable in the periphery within days, HBV uniquely does not undergo a logarithmic phase of replication until 6–8 weeks after initial infection. Virus and viral proteins are undetectable during this incubation period. The clinical course of acute infection reflects this quiescent phase; patients develop symptoms only 10–12 weeks after initial infection or alternatively, remain asymptomatic throughout (Rehermann and Nascimbeni 2005). Therefore,...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 799.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 949.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Akira S, Uematsu S, Takeuchi O. Pathogen recognition and innate immunity. Cell. 2006;124:783–801.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alatrakchi N, Koziel M. Regulatory T cells and viral liver disease. J Viral Hepat. 2009;16:223–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Asabe S, Wieland SF, Chattopadhyay PK, Roederer M, Engle RE, Purcell RH, Chisari FV. The size of the viral inoculum contributes to the outcome of hepatitis B virus infection. J Virol. 2009;83:9652–62.

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Beasley RP. Hepatitis B virus. The major etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer. 1988;61:1942–56.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bertoletti A, Ferrari C. Innate and adaptive immune responses in chronic hepatitis B virus infections: towards restoration of immune control of viral infection. Gut. 2012;61(12):1754–64.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bertoletti A, Maini MK. Protection or damage: a dual role for the virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte response in hepatitis B and C infection? Curr Opin Immunol. 2000;12:403–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bertoletti A, Sette A, Chisari FV, Penna A, Levrero M, De Carli M, Fiaccadori F, Ferrari C. Natural variants of cytotoxic epitopes are T-cell receptor antagonists for antiviral cytotoxic T cells. Nature. 1994;369:407–10.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn C, Brunetto M, Reynolds G, Christophides T, Kennedy PT, Lampertico P, Das A, Lopes AR, Borrow P, Williams K, et al. Cytokines induced during chronic hepatitis B virus infection promote a pathway for NK cell-mediated liver damage. J Exp Med. 2007;204:667–80.

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn C, Peppa D, Khanna P, Nebbia G, Jones M, Brendish N, Lascar RM, Brown D, Gilson RJ, Tedder RJ, et al. Temporal analysis of early immune responses in patients with acute hepatitis B virus infection. Gastroenterology. 2009;137:1289–300.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fisicaro P, Valdatta C, Boni C, Massari M, Mori C, Zerbini A, Orlandini A, Sacchelli L, Missale G, Ferrari C. Early kinetics of innate and adaptive immune responses during hepatitis B virus infection. Gut. 2009;58:974–82.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fisicaro P, Valdatta C, Massari M, Loggi E, Biasini E, Sacchelli L, Cavallo MC, Silini EM, Andreone P, Missale G, Ferrari C. Antiviral intrahepatic T-cell responses can be restored by blocking programmed death-1 pathway in chronic hepatitis B. Gastroenterology. 2010;138:682–693.e4.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guidotti LG, Chisari FV. Immunobiology and pathogenesis of viral hepatitis. Annu Rev Pathol. 2006;1:23–61.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guidotti LG, Ishikawa T, Hobbs MV, Matzke B, Schreiber R, Chisari FV. Intracellular inactivation of the hepatitis B virus by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Immunity. 1996;4:25–36.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klenerman P, Thimme R. T cell responses in hepatitis C: the good, the bad and the unconventional. Gut, 2012;61(8):1226–34.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lopes AR, Kellam P, Das A, Dunn C, Kwan A, Turner J, Peppa D, Gilson RJ, Gehring A, Bertoletti A, Maini MK. Bim-mediated deletion of antigen-specific CD8 T cells in patients unable to control HBV infection. J Clin Invest. 2008;118:1835–45.

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Maini MK, Boni C, Lee CK, Larrubia JR, Reignat S, Ogg GS, King AS, Herberg J, Gilson R, Alisa A, et al. The role of virus-specific CD8(+) cells in liver damage and viral control during persistent hepatitis B virus infection. J Exp Med. 2000;191:1269–80.

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Manigold T, Racanelli V. T-cell regulation by CD4 regulatory T cells during hepatitis B and C virus infections: facts and controversies. Lancet Infect Dis. 2007;7:804–13.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peppa D, Micco L, Javaid A, Kennedy PT, Schurich A, Dunn C, Pallant C, Ellis G, Khanna P, Dusheiko G, et al. Blockade of immunosuppressive cytokines restores NK cell antiviral function in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. PLoS Pathog. 2010;6:e1001227.

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rehermann B, Nascimbeni M. Immunology of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection. Nat Rev Immunol. 2005;5:215–29.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thimme R, Wieland S, Steiger C, Ghrayeb J, Reimann KA, Purcell RH, Chisari FV. CD8(+) T cells mediate viral clearance and disease pathogenesis during acute hepatitis B virus infection. J Virol. 2003;77:68–76.

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Webster GJ, Reignat S, Brown D, Ogg GS, Jones L, Seneviratne SL, Williams R, Dusheiko G, Bertoletti A. Longitudinal analysis of CD8+ T cells specific for structural and nonstructural hepatitis B virus proteins in patients with chronic hepatitis B: implications for immunotherapy. J Virol. 2004;78:5707–19.

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wherry EJ. T cell exhaustion. Nat Immunol. 2011;12:492–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wieland SF, Eustaquio A, Whitten-Bauer C, Boyd B, Chisari FV. Interferon prevents formation of replication-competent hepatitis B virus RNA-containing nucleocapsids. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2005;102:9913–7.

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Infection and Immunity, UCL, Rayne Building, 5 University St., London, UK

    Mala Maini, Abhishek Das & Anna Schurich

Authors
  1. Mala Maini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Abhishek Das
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anna Schurich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mala Maini .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

    Ian R. Mackay

  2. Center for Autoimmune Disease Research, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Noel R. Rose

  3. The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA

    Betty Diamond

  4. The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA

    Anne Davidson

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this entry

Cite this entry

Maini, M., Das, A., Schurich, A. (2014). Acute and Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection, Immune Response. In: Mackay, I.R., Rose, N.R., Diamond, B., Davidson, A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Medical Immunology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-84828-0_67

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-84828-0_67

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-84827-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-84828-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation