Cellular Immune Responses in the Liver in Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) Patients

Characterization of Cellular Immune Responses in the Liver in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection

In order to persist in the liver, HCV has numerous nonspecific and specific strategies to overcome the immunity of the host. The crucial step in the establishment of viral persistence and chronic hepatitis is the avoidance of specific antiviral cellular immune response in the liver. Treatment with pegylated interferon alpha (IFNα) in combination with ribavirin (RBV) is the standard therapy for chronic hepatitis C is. The response to IFNα / RBV therapy depends on the effective cellular antiviral immune response in the liver. The understanding of the interaction between HCV and cellular immune response is important for the effective use of existing diagnostic techniques, the Individual control and adjustment of the current therapeutic approaches and the development of future therapeutic and immunization strategies. In this study, the investigators want to investigate cellular Immune responses in the liver of HCV infected patients and characterize the influence of these immune responses to the response to IFNα / RBV therapy.

Inclusion Criteria:

• proven chronic hepatitis C
• aged between 18 and 65
• willingness to give written informed consent to the study protocol

Exclusion Criteria:

• history of having received any IFN, PEG-IFN or RBV
• not eligible for antiviral treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin by standard of care