Topic Highlight
Copyright ©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 7, 2007; 13(1): 82-90
Published online Jan 7, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i1.82
Pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus infection
Thomas F Baumert, Robert Thimme, Fritz von Weizsäcker
Thomas F Baumert, Robert Thimme, Fritz von Weizsäcker, Department of Medicine II, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
Thomas F Baumert, INSERM U748, Université Louis Pasteur Strasbourg, France
Fritz von Weizsäcker, Schlosspark-Klinik, Charité, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Fritz von Weizsäcker, MD, Department of Medicine I, Schlosspark Klinik, Teaching Hospital of the Charité, Humboldt University, Heubnerweg 2, D-14059 Berlin, Germany. fritz.weizsaecker@schlosspark-klinik.de
Telephone: +49-30-32641302 Fax: +49-30-32641300
Received: August 2, 2006
Revised: September 21, 2006
Accepted: November 4, 2006
Published online: January 7, 2007
Abstract

Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) leads to a wide spectrum of clinical presentations ranging from an asymptomatic carrier state to self-limited acute or fulminant hepatitis to chronic hepatitis with progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Infection with HBV is one of the most common viral diseases affecting man. Both viral factors as well as the host immune response have been implicated in the pathogenesis and clinical outcome of HBV infection. In this review, we will discuss the impact of virus-host interactions for the pathogenesis of HBV infection and liver disease. These interactions include the relevance of naturally occurring viral variants for clinical disease, the role of virus-induced apoptosis for HBV-induced liver cell injury and the impact of antiviral immune responses for outcome of infection.

Keywords: Host response, Viral hepatitis, Mutants, Pathogenesis, Resistance