HEPATITIS C VIRUS INFECTION - VIRUSOLOGICAL AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECT

Hepatitis C virus is a spherical particle, of icosahedral symmetry of the capsid with the lipid jacket. The virus genome is one-chain (+) RNK. Structural virus proteins are the following: protein of nucleocapsid and two glycoproteins of the jacket (El and E2). The E2 protein that induces a synthesis of neutralizing antibodies is antigenic-variable. Non-structural virus proteins (RNK polymerase, helicase, protease and others) have a regulatory function in the replication process. The HCV is replicated in hepatocytes and probably in T and B lymphocytes as well. The replication is done at a low level; that is why the virus antigens are present in the serum in un-measurable concentrations.The cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes have a dominant role in the pathogenesis of the hepatocyte lesion and in the virus elimination. In over 70% of the patients, after an acute infection, the HCV sets up a persistent infection causing a chronic liver disease with progressive course. The setting-up of the persistent HCV infection is a consequence of the mutations in the E2 gene that are giving rise to changes in the anti-receptor virus structure. Due to low titer of the virus antigens in the serum, the active HCV inflection can be proved only on the basis of the presence of the RNK sequence of the virus genome by the PCR method. Recent research of the HCV infection is directed towards discovering the epitope as the candidate for the HCV infection.