Editorial
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. May 28, 2012; 18(20): 2443-2451
Published online May 28, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i20.2443
T cell immunopathogenesis and immunotherapeutic strategies for chronic hepatitis B virus infection
Yukihiro Shimizu
Yukihiro Shimizu, Gastroenterology Unit, Takaoka City Hospital, 4-1 Takara-machi, Takaoka city, Toyama 933-8550, Japan
Author contributions: Shimizu Y designed and wrote the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Yukihiro Shimizu, MD, PhD, Gastoenterology Unit, Takaoka City Hospital, 4-1 Takara-machi, Takaoka city, Toyama 933-8550, Japan. rsf14240@nifty.com
Telephone: +81-766-230204 Fax: +81-766-262882
Received: October 17, 2011
Revised: February 8, 2012
Accepted: February 26, 2012
Published online: May 28, 2012
Abstract

Hepatitis B is caused by the host immune response and T cells play a major role in the immunopathogenesis. More importantly, T cells not only destroy hepatocytes infected by hepatitis B virus (HBV), but also control HBV replication or eradicate HBV in a noncytolytic manner. Therefore, analysis of T cell immune response during acute and chronic HBV infection is important to develop a strategy for successful viral control, which could lead to immunotherapy for terminating persistent HBV infection. There have been many attempts at immunotherapy for chronic HBV infection, and some have shown promising results. High viral load has been shown to suppress antiviral immune responses and immunoinhibitory signals have been recently elucidated, therefore, viral suppression by nucleos(t)ide analogs, stimulation of antiviral immune response, and suppression of the immunoinhibitory signals must be combined to achieve desirable antiviral effects.

Keywords: T cells; Immunopathogenesis; Immunotherapy; Hepatitis B virus infection