Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a worldwide issue. However, the current treatment for hepatitis C has many shortcomings. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pattern recognition receptors involved in HCV infection, and an increasing number of studies are focusing on the role of TLRs in the progression of hepatitis C.

Data sources

We performed a PubMed search up to January 2021 with the following keywords: hepatitis C, toll-like receptors, interferons, inflammation, and immune evasion. We also used terms such as single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), susceptibility, fibrosis, cirrhosis, direct-acting antiviral agents, agonists, and antagonists to supplement the query results. We reviewed relevant publications analyzing the correlation between hepatitis C and TLRs and the role of TLRs in HCV infection.

Results

TLRs 1–4 and 6–9 are involved in the process of HCV infection. When the host is exposed to the HCV, TLRs, as important participants in HCV immune evasion, trigger innate immunity to remove the virus and also promote inflammation and liver fibrosis. TLR gene SNPs affect hepatitis C susceptibility, treatment, and prognosis. The contribution of each TLR to HCV is different. Drugs targeting various TLRs are developed and validated, and TLRs can synergize with classic hepatitis C drugs, including interferon and direct-acting antiviral agents, constituting a new direction for the treatment of hepatitis C.

Conclusions

TLRs are important receptors in HCV infection. Different TLRs induce different mechanisms of virus clearance and inflammatory response. Although TLR-related antiviral therapy strategies exist, more studies are needed to explore the clinical application of TLR-related drugs.

中文翻译：

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Toll样受体与丙型肝炎病毒感染

背景

丙型肝炎病毒 (HCV) 感染是一个世界性问题。然而，目前丙型肝炎的治疗有很多不足之处。Toll 样受体 (TLR) 是参与 HCV 感染的模式识别受体，越来越多的研究关注 TLR 在丙型肝炎进展中的作用。

数据源

我们在 2021 年 1 月之前使用以下关键词进行了 PubMed 搜索：丙型肝炎、toll 样受体、干扰素、炎症和免疫逃避。我们还使用了诸如单核苷酸多态性 (SNP)、易感性、纤维化、肝硬化、直接作用抗病毒剂、激动剂和拮抗剂等术语来补充查询结果。我们回顾了分析丙型肝炎和 TLR 之间的相关性以及 TLR 在 HCV 感染中的作用的相关出版物。

结果

TLR 1-4 和 6-9 参与 HCV 感染的过程。当宿主暴露于 HCV 时，作为 HCV 免疫逃避的重要参与者，TLRs 会触发先天免疫以清除病毒，并促进炎症和肝纤维化。TLR基因 SNP 影响丙型肝炎的易感性、治疗和预后。每个 TLR 对 HCV 的贡献是不同的。针对多种TLRs的药物研发和验证，TLRs可以与包括干扰素和直接抗病毒药物在内的经典丙肝药物产生协同作用，构成丙肝治疗的新方向。

结论

TLRs是HCV感染的重要受体。不同的 TLR 诱导病毒清除和炎症反应的不同机制。虽然存在 TLR 相关的抗病毒治疗策略，但需要更多的研究来探索 TLR 相关药物的临床应用。