Role of Kupffer cells in hepatitis B virus infection / 中华临床感染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection is the main cause of chronic liver diseases in China. The clearance of HBV is important for patients with chronic hepatitis B.Current antiviral therapy includes interferon and nucleotide analogues.The adverse reactions of interferon are common which restrict its application.Nucleotide analogues need long-term maintenance treatment.Kupffer cells (KCs) are the main innate immune cells in the liver.Studies have shown that KCs play an important role in hepatitis B virus infection.It can inhibit virus replication effectively , but may also result in immune dysfunction , causing HBV persistence.Understanding the mechanism related to the role of KCs in hepatitis B virus infection may lead to a new approach of antiviral therapy.