7. Pathogenesis of viral hepatitis Flashcards
Stages of viral hepatitis
Subclinical
Acute hepatitis
Acute liver failure
Chronic
chronic hepatitis
abnormal LFTs and positive serological markers >6 months
Histological staging of hepatic fibrosis
No fibrosis
Stage 1: fibrous expansion of some portal areas
Stage 3: fibrous expansion of most portal areas with occasional portal to portal bridging
Stage4: fibrous expansion of portal areas witith marked bridging (portal to portal and portal to central)
stage 5,6: cirrhosis, probable or defined
Hep B virus clinical epidemiology
Alaska and northern Canada
Parts of South America
Most of Africa
Asia
Risk factors for HBV
Ethnicity (Asian, pacific asian, native americans and Alaskans, Hispanics) IDU MSM HIV HCW (healthcare workers)
Hep B virus genome
Lipid bilayers DNA polymerase RT/pol HbcAg 4 ORF Pre S precore-core polymerase X
HBV replication
DNA genome which makes an RNA intermediate which is replicated by reverse transcription
HBV lifecycle
HBV core particle enters cell
enters nucleus, replicates, leaves nucleus and is translated to make the virus which buds into the ER and is then transported to cell membrane via vesicle
How does immune system deal with viruses
TLR3 recognises PAMP and activates IFN regulatory genes through RIGI signalling.
IFN reg genes activate IFN stimulatory genes which cause production of IFN alpha and beta.
IFNs cause:
- activation of NK, CD8, DCs
- down regulation of viral proteins
- inhibition of viral gene expression
- perforin secretion to kill cells
- promotes MHC class I expression on APCs which leads to adaptive immunity response
How does HBV evade immune detection?
innate system cccDNA
not recognised by host immune system?
interferes with TLR expression?
The role of HBsAb
Provide life long immunity
form complex with neutralising antibody and prevents uptake by uninfected hepatocytes
neutralising Abs dont contribute to any early viral clearance
Early and late immune responses against HBV
Early: CD8 releases IFN gamma and IFN alph which are non-cytopathic to the Hep-B infected cell
Late: Cytopathic response. CD8 Fas ligand/perforin causes apoptosis of the infected cell
Resolved infection
95% immunocompetent adults
life-long immunity
due to
Early CD4+ priming which contributes to a synchronised influx of HBV-specific CD8 cells which result in viral clearance
Polyclonal and multispecific intrahepatic CD8+ cells response
Persistant infection factors
Age at infection
- HbeAg crosses placenta and induces tolerance to HbcAg (the most immunogenic)
- which suppresses immune mediated elimination of infected cells and switches the immune response to TH2 (Th2 response is anti-inflammatory)
Immunosuppression/ inadequate cell-mediated immunity - weak/narrow intrahepatic CD4+/CD8+ cell response
- high viral load: anergy, exhaustion of T and B cells
- antiviral therapy: recovery of HBV spefic CD4+/CD8+ cells
What is the only antigen that crosses the placenta?
HbeAg
HBV X protein
HBV X protein interferes with antigen processing and presentation and protects cccDNA
leads to persistant infection
Persistant infection immune system
Foxp3 on T regs suppresses HBV specific T cells
CD28, which promotes apoptosis, is upregulated, thereby downregulating virus specific T cells
CTLA4, binds Cd80 or CD86 on the surface of APCs and switches off the APCs