Does HCV alter the iron status of infected cells

Iron is tightly regulated in the body since it can promote toxic reactive oxygen species with excess iron stored as ferritin within hepatocytes. However, it is essential for many biological processes, including the production of virions and the host response to pathogens, resulting in manipulation of the availability of iron by both host and pathogen. Since HCV infection is associated with elevated serum ferritin levels and iron deposits within liver, we hypothesised that HCV replication alters iron homeostasis in hepatoctyes. Two independent mediators of iron metabolism, hepcidin and IL-6, are analysed together with ferroportin, exporter of iron from cells, that is degraded upon binding of hepcidin.