Association of exosomes with viral infection and hepatitis B virus-related liver diseases

• Main Authors: JIA Xiaofang, CHU Qiaofang, YUAN Zhenghong
• Format: Article
• Language: zho
• Published: Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2017-08-01
• Series: Linchuang Gandanbing Zazhi
• Online Access: http://www.lcgdbzz.org/qk_content.asp?id=8374

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection causes pathological changes of the liver, including liver inflammation, hepatocyte necrosis, and even liver fibrosis, and promotes the progression from chronic hepatitis to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, but related mechanisms remain unclear. The mechanism for the interaction between hepatocytes infected by HBV and uninfected hepatocytes/host immune system might be exosomes-mediated cell-cell communication in liver microenvironment. Many studies have demonstrated that viral infection can regulate the production of exosomes and affect their composition, and viral microRNAs, proteins, and even the entire virion can be incorporated into the exosomes, which can affect the immune recognition of viruses or regulate the function of adjacent cells. This article elaborates on the production and composition of exosomes and their roles in viral infection, as well as the research advances in the association between exosomes and HBV infection.