HCV-Host Interactions: A Plethora of Genes and their Intricate Interplay Part 1: Virus Specific Factors

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) interaction with host cells is pivotal for natural disease course starting from asymptomatic acute infection to progress into persistent chronic infection and subsequent extrahepatic manifestations, including fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HCV infection biology in infected host cells via virus attachment, virus genome replication, mRNA translation, new virion formation, and egress from infected cells involves highly coordinated participation of the virus- and host-specific proteins, a plethora of genes, and cell signaling cascade. The progression of persistent chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection to hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, and HCC involves viral invasion strategies against host immune system defense mechanisms as well as impeding healthy metabolic and signaling networks of the liver cells. Thereby, HCV-induced liver injury via chronic inflammatory processes that fail to resolve is responsible for decompensated cirrhosis and on occasion, hepatocarcinogenesis in infected individuals. With the latest advancement and rapid expansion of our knowledge in hepatology, the human liver is deciphered as an immunologically distinct organ with its specialized physiological niche. The relationship between human hepatocytes and different components of the immune system is quite complex and dynamic. The immunopathogenesis of various viral infections demonstrates that the immune system plays an essential role to determine the progression of many hepatic diseases through immune cell communication and cell signaling networks. In this book chapter, we overview HCVhost interactions and their intricate interplay with complex crosstalk to propagate less fetal acute HCV infection to CHC and subsequent hepatocarcinogenesis (i.e. HCC) in infected individuals.