Acute Hepatitis A evades immune system more effectively than chronic cousin
Monday, June 20, 2011 - 20:30
in Health & Medicine
Researchers thought that Hepatitis C might become chronic by disrupting the host's interferon response -- part of the innate immune system that protects the body against any kind of "foreign" invader. However, in comparing data from experiments with Hepatitis A and Hepatitis C, scientists found that Hepatitis A virus, which causes only acute, self-limited disease, is more efficient at inhibiting the host's interferon response, and that the virus can actually linger in the body for almost a year.