Pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus infection

Infection with hepatitisB virus (HBV) leads to a wide spectrum of clinical presentations ranging from anasymptomatic carrier state to self-limited acute or fulminant hepatitis to chronichepatitis with progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Infection with HBVis one of the most common viral diseases affecting man. Both viral factors as well as thehost immune response have been implicated in the pathogenesis and clinical outcome of HBVinfection. In this review, we will discuss the impact of virus-host interactions for thepathogenesis of HBV infection and liver disease. These interactions include the relevanceof naturally occurring viral variants for clinical disease, the role of virus-inducedapoptosis for HBV-induced liver cell injury and the impact of antiviral immune responsesfor outcome of infection.