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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 7, 2013; 19(41): 6957-6961
Published online Nov 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i41.6957
Published online Nov 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i41.6957
Transmission of hepatitis C virus: Self-limiting hepatitis or chronic hepatitis?
Takafumi Saito, Yoshiyuki Ueno, Department of Gastroenterology, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan
Author contributions: Saito T and Ueno Y contributed equally to this paper.
Correspondence to: Takafumi Saito, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Iida-nishi 2-2-2, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan. tasaitoh@med.id.yamagata-u.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-23-6285309 Fax: +81-23-6285311
Received: September 3, 2013
Revised: October 2, 2013
Accepted: October 13, 2013
Published online: November 7, 2013
Revised: October 2, 2013
Accepted: October 13, 2013
Published online: November 7, 2013
Core Tip
Core tip: Most individuals with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection develop chronic hepatitis, but in some the hepatitis is resolved in a self-limiting manner in the acute phase of infection. What factors are responsible for this difference in the outcome of hepatitis C? The evolutionary dynamics of the infecting virus and host genetic polymorphisms pertaining mainly to the immune system, including the Interleukin 28B gene, as well as susceptibility to HCV infection, are important in determining the outcome of infection.