Expression of Inflammasomes in HCV Patients

Hepatitis C virus has been identified a quarter of a decade ago as a leading cause of chronic viral hepatitis that can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Only a minority of patients can clear the virus spontaneously during acute infection. Elimination of HCV during acute infection correlates with a rapid induction of innate and a delayed induction of adaptive immune responses. The majority of patients is unable to clear the virus and develops viral persistence despite the ongoing innate and adaptive immune response. The virus usually develops several strategies to escape these immune responses.