Restoration of Hepatitis C virus-specific CD8+ T-cell responses in patients undergoing IFN-free antiviral therapy

Virus-specific CD8+ T cells play an important role in the outcome (elimination versus persistence) and pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The mechanisms contributing to HCV-specific CD8+ T-cell failure in chronic infection are not completely understood. Importantly, the direct influence of ongoing viral replication on virus-specific CD8+ T-cell failure could not be studied previously since standard therapy regimens contained IFN with its known toxic effects on T cells. Therefore, it was the objective of this study to answer the important question whether inhibition of ongoing viral replication by…