- A Hepatitis B virus is understood to directly destroy infected liver cells without any involvement from the host immune system, through a cytopathic mechanism similar to that seen in poliovirus infection
- B Hepatitis B virus infects hepatocytes; immune response (cytotoxic T cells) attempting to kill infected cells causes hepatocyte damage; chronic infection leads to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma
- C Hepatitis B is in fact correctly classified by microbiologists as a bacterial disease rather than a viral disease, responding largely to standard antibiotic therapy in every infected patient
- D Hepatitis B infection is understood to mainly ever cause a short-lived, self-resolving acute illness, rarely a chronic disease, with the virus being largely cleared from the liver within a few weeks
Correct answer: B. Hepatitis B virus infects hepatocytes; immune response (cytotoxic T cells) attempting to kill infected cells causes hepatocyte damage; chronic infection leads to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma
Explanation: HBV (hepadnavirus, DNA virus): infects hepatocytes → CTLs attack infected cells → inflammation → liver damage. Most adults clear it (acute hepatitis); 5% become chronic carriers → chronic hepatitis → cirrhosis → hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HBsAg persists in chronic infection. HBV is 100x more infectious than HIV. Vaccine available (3-dose schedule).
Concept context
Pathogens, infectious diseases, non-infectious diseases, drugs, cancer, and public health. High NEET importance.