Functional exhaustion of virus specific CD8+ T-cell immunity in fibrotic liver leads to viral persistence

The impact of liver fibrosis or cirrhosis on hepatic immune regulation is unkown. Here we addressed the impact of fibrotic liver diseases on virus-specific immune response. Liver fibrosis and cirrhosis was induced in mice by CCl4 treatment prior to infection with the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). On day 8, 10 and 14 post infection viral load and effector functions of virus specific immune cells were determined. While control mice were able to clear the infection after day 8, LCMV persisted in liver and spleen of cirrhotic and fibrotic mice until day 30 post infection. Impaired viral clearance in the…