Epidemiological, immunological and virological aspects of acute and chronic hepatitis C virus infections

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus classified as a member of the Hepacivirus genus in the family Flavirviridae, and was first described by Choo et al. in 1989 as the causative agent of non-A-non-B post-transfusion hepatitis. HCV is a major cause of blood-borne infections and chronic liver disease throughout the world with no vaccine available to prevent infections in individuals at risk. This thesis combines different aspects of HCV, both during the acute and chronic phase of the disease. The first part addresses the genetic diversity of HCV. The second part describes HCV reinfections in HIV-infected MSM. In the third part the summary of all chapters is provided and some of the implications of the findings are discussed