Hepatitis C Virus: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis and Treatment

Chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a serious condition affecting over 180 million people world-wide. The virus infects the liver and while it is estimated that 20 per cent of those infected clear the virus spontaneously, the virus persists in the majority of individuals leading to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. This book presents topical research in the study of the epidemiology, pathogenesis and treatment of Hepatitic C Virus including: genome-wide association studies regarding HCV infection; hepatic and blood dendritic cell subsets in patients with chronic HCV; bone metabolism disorders in HCV infection; Socs1 involvement in liver damage during HCV infection; asymptomatic low-level HCV persistence; and HCV infection as the leading cause of liver disease in renal transplant recipients.