Apoptosis in viral hepatitis B and C.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and TNF receptors (TNFR) are members of the growing TNF ligand and receptor families known to be involved in apoptosis, viral pathogenesis and immune regulation. The present report will focus on the role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of viral hepatitis B and C. Although TNF was reported years ago to modulate viral infections, recent findings on the molecular pathways involved in TNFR signaling have allowed a better understanding of the molecular interactions between cellular and viral factors within the infected cell. The interactions of viral proteins with intracellular components downstream of the TNFR have highlighted at the molecular level that viruses can manipulate the cellular machinery to escape the immune surveillance and to favor spread infection. We will review here the mechanism of apoptosis and the role of viral proteins that regulate apoptosis in viral hepatitis B and C.