The outcome of hepatic B virus (HBV) infection is the result of complex
interactions between replicating HBV and the innate/adaptive immune system.
As an important lectin complement pathway activator, human ficolin-2 is
secreted from liver cells and contributes to the clearance of viral infections
and lysis of enveloped virions, which has been implicated as an anti-infection
innate immune molecule. In this issue, a research group lead by Drs. Xiao-
Lian Zhang and Fengling Luo, investigated the serum and liver tissue ficolin-2
levels, in a cohort of individuals with chronic HBV infections, hepatocellular
carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis. And their findings suggest that serum
and intrahepatic ficolin-2 levels may be considered as one of the indicators for
the response of chronic HBV infection, HCC and cirrhosis. The cover image
shows the decreased ficolin-2 expression in HCC cells compared to adjacent
normal hepatic cells from HCC patients. See page 249–260 for details.