Hepatitis C Virus Infection of a Thyroid Cell Line: Implications for Pathogenesis of Hepatitis C Virus and Thyroiditis

Abstract

For the first time, we have demonstrated that HCV can infect human thyroid cells in vitro. These findings strongly suggest that HCV infection of thyrocytes may play a role in the association between chronic HCV infection and thyroid autoimmunity. Furthermore, the thyroid may serve as an extrahepatic reservoir for HCV viral replication, thus contributing to the persistence of viral infection and to the development of thyroid autoimmunity.