ArticleThe Journal of infectious diseases2026
Transient Interferon-Driven Natural Killer Cell Activation in Acute Hepatitis C.
Benedikt Strunz, Qiuyao Zhan, Tanvi Khera, Julia Hengst, Marija Jankovic, Katja Deterding, Annika Niehrs, Markus Cornberg, Cheng-Jian Xu, Heiner Wedemeyer and 2 more
Abstract read
In one paragraphArticle in The Journal of infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
2 · The registryThe trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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3 · Its place in the literatureWho cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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4 · The recordCorrections and comments
5 · Who and what moneyAuthors and funding
12 authors.
Benedikt StrunzCenter for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-9974-6133 Qiuyao ZhanCentre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CIIM), Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Tanvi KheraTWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Julia HengstTWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Marija JankovicCenter for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0009-0007-1797-3529 Katja DeterdingDepartment of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Annika NiehrsCenter for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-2190-4346 Markus CornbergCentre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CIIM), Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Cheng-Jian XuCentre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CIIM), Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Heiner WedemeyerDepartment of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-2906-0480 Niklas K BjörkströmCenter for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-0967-076X HepNet Acute HCV IV Study Group
Funding
Center for Innovative MedicineEuropean Research Council 948692European Union's Horizon Europe Framework Programme 101057917Karolinska InstitutetKnut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationSwedish Cancer SocietySwedish Foundation for Strategic ResearchSwedish Research Council
6 · The paper itselfAbstract
Acute infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a rare event that can be treated successfully with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). As natural killer (NK) cells play an important role during the natural course of acute HCV, we assessed the NK cell compartment via flow cytometry and single-cell sequencing in longitudinally sampled patients with acute HCV and compared this to healthy controls and patients with chronic HCV. At the transcriptomic level, we identified a subset of highly activated NK cells with a robust type I interferon imprint. While the population of activated NK cells vanished after DAA-mediated cure, a long-term phenotypic imprint of infection was observed in comparison to healthy controls. Collectively, these data suggest an interferon-driven rise of an activated NK cell population during acute hepatitis C that is largely restored upon viral clearance. This study provides insights into the immunological basis for successful antiviral response to hepatitis C.
Indexed as
Hepatitis CKiller Cells, NaturalLymphocyte ActivationAcute DiseaseAdultAntiviral AgentsFemaleFlow CytometryHepacivirusHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedSingle-Cell AnalysisAntiviral Agentsacute hepatitis CNK cellssingle-cell RNA sequencing
Identifiers
PMID41453396
PMCPMC13271410
What OpenQuestion holds
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LicenceCC BY
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