Apoptosis and active inflammatory markers in Egyptian chronic hepatitis C patients

ABSTRACT

Background: the induction of apoptosis for the virus-infected cells is an important host defense mechanism against invading pathogens. Activated T cells express Fas receptor; virus-infected hepatocytes bear the receptor as well. Both immune mediated reaction and cytopathic effects of HCV may be involved in pathogenesis. The apoptosis in immune or non-immune tissue and the mechanism of liver damage in chronic HCV infection remains uncertain