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Hepatitis C Virus: From Molecular Virology to Antiviral Therapy pp 243–262Cite as

Adaptive Immune Responses in Hepatitis C Virus Infection

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Part of the book series: Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology ((CT MICROBIOLOGY,volume 369))

Abstract

The adaptive immune response plays a central role in the outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Indeed, spontaneous viral clearance is associated with an early neutralizing antibody response as well as vigorous and sustained HCV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses. In persistent HCV infection, however, all three components of the antiviral adaptive immune response fail due to different viral evasion strategies. In this chapter, we will describe the components of a successful immune response against HCV and summarize the mechanisms of immune failure. We will also highlight characteristics of protective CD8+ T cell responses which is the key factor to the design of an efficacious vaccine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine II, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany

    Christoph Neumann-Haefelin & Robert Thimme

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  1. Christoph Neumann-Haefelin
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  2. Robert Thimme
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Correspondence to Robert Thimme .

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  1. Department for Infectious Diseases Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

    Ralf Bartenschlager

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Neumann-Haefelin, C., Thimme, R. (2013). Adaptive Immune Responses in Hepatitis C Virus Infection. In: Bartenschlager, R. (eds) Hepatitis C Virus: From Molecular Virology to Antiviral Therapy. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol 369. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27340-7_10

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