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• p t, B J, s er, D M, B t, M-o r. Improved inflammatory
Most relevant oyNarDruixChiFFiagoergoreNotero
activity with peginterferon alfa-2b maintenance therapy in non-cirrhotic prior non-
scientific responders: a randomized study.J Hepatol. 2013 Mar;58(3):452-9.

articles
• roDríguez-Muñoz y, MartíN-víLChez s, López-roDríguez r, herNáNDez-BartoLoMé á, garCía-
Buey L, BorQue MJ. Preliminary evidence of sustained expression of angiopoietin-2 du-

ring monocyte differentiation in chronic hepatitis C.Liver Int. 2013 Jul;33(6):864-70.

• López-roDríguez r, herNáNDez-BartoLoMé á, BorQue MJ, roDríguez-Muñoz y, MartíN-
v s, t-M M. Polymorphisms in histone deacetylases improve the
íLChezraperoarugáN
predictive value of IL-28B for chronic hepatitis C therapy.Genes Immun. 2013 Jul-
Aug;14(5):317-24.

• t-M M, M-o r. Letter: impact of mild alcohol consumption in
raperoarugáNoreNotero
chronic hepatitis C treatment.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2013 Jun;37(11):1118-9.

• herNáNDez-BartoLoMé a, López-roDríguez r, roDríguez-Muñoz y, MartíN-víLChez s, BorQue
MJ, g-B L. Angiopoietin-2 Serum Levels Improve Noninvasive Fibrosis Staging
arCíauey
in Chronic Hepatitis C: A Fibrogenic-Angiogenic Link.PLoS One. 2013;8(6):e66143.

Highlights
During last years our research group has been particularly focused on identifying
useful non-invasive prognostic biomarkers of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) progres-

sion to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We are also interested in

understanding how the hepatitis C virus (HCV) interacts with target cells, with
particular emphasis on the role of the cellular factors implicated in different steps

of the viral life cycle.

The altered expression of multiple angiogenic and fibrogenic-related factors du-
ring the course of CHC provides a valuable tool for the non-invasive assessment

of liver fibrosis, clue for clinical decision-making. Among other clinical and demo-

graphic variables, peripheral levels of angiopoietins correlated significantly with
hepatic fibrosis. Such finding allowed us to develop a novel index for non invasive

evaluation of liver fibrosis, AngioScore, which was further validated in an indepen-

dent series of patients with CHC.

Monocytes, essential precursors of antigen-presenting cells, notably contribute
to the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer. Interestingly,

we detected in the peripheral blood of CHC patients a significant increment of a
subtype of monocytes with marked proangiogenic properties but notable immu-

nosuppressive nature able to express the angiopoietin receptor Tie2, highlighting

the relevant role of Angiopoietin/Tie-2 axis on the regulation of inflammatory res-
ponse during the progression of chronic liver diseases.

In addition, we have characterized the significance of certain genetic variants

of ISGs and HDACs for the optimization of IL28B predictive value of therapeutic
13
response of CHC patients; interestingly some of them were markedly related to 20
fibrosis progression (Patents: ES-2422874_A1 and ES-2423154_A1).
T
OR
Regarding HCV infection in vitro, our studies have demonstrated that HCV pro- P
RE
motes structural and functional alterations of intercellular junctions and that oc- L
cludin, a tigh junction associated protein, plays an essential role in HCV infection. A
NU
We have also described a novel use of Matrigel-embedded hepatocytes cultures N
A
supporting the entire HCV infection cycle.
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