Secretion of Hepatitis C Virus Replication Intermediates Reduces Activation of Toll-Like Receptor 3 in Hepatocytes

Using hepatocyte-based culture models for HCV, we found a portion of HCV dsRNA intermediates to be released from infected cells in EVs, which reduces activation of toll-like receptor 3. This represents a novel mechanism how HCV evades host immune responses, potentially contributing to viral persistence.