Review article

BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS

Irena Hrstić ; Department of gastroenterology, Clinical Hospital center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Boris Vucelić ; Department of gastroenterology, Clinical Hospital center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

ABSTRACT
The mechanisms of hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) and replication in targeted cells, the mechanism of persistent viral infection and the pathogenesis of HCV hepatic disease are poorly understood. HCV is a smallenveloped virus containing a positive-sense, singlestrained (RNA). It is classified in the separate genus Hepacivirus in the Flaviviridae family. HCV genome contains approximately 9600 nucleotides that encode a polyprotein of around 3000 amino acids depending on the genotype. The various genotypes are distributed into 6 main types (1-6) with various subtypes (a-c). Within its hosts HCV exists as a pool of genetically distinct but closely related variants called quasispecies. Hepatocytes appear to be the major site of HCV replication, but
peripheral blood mononuclear cells and lymph nodes are also natural target cells. Because of the lack of convenient in vitro tissue culture systems for efficient virus propagation the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of HCV replication is mainly hypothetic.

Keywords

hepatitis C virus; genome; heterogeneity; genotype; quasispecies; kinetics

Hrčak ID:

22561

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/22561

Publication date:

25.6.2007.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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