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HCV is a small 50nm, enveloped, single-stranded, positive sense RNAvirus in the family Flaviviridae.
HCV has a high rate of replication with approximately one trillion particles produced each day in an infected individual. Due to lack of proofreading by the HCV RNA polymerase, the HCV has an exceptionally high mutation rate, a factor that may help it elude the host's immune response. Hepatitis C virus is classified into six genotypes(1-6) with several subtypes within each genotype. The preponderance and distribution of HCV genotypes varies globally. Genotype is clinically important in determining potential response to interferon-based therapy and the required duration of such therapy. Genotypes 1 and 4 are less responsive to interferon-based treatment than are the other genotypes (2, 3, 5 and 6).

RANKL binds to tnfrsf11b/opg and to tnfrsf11a/rank. Osteoclast differentiation and activation factor. augments the ability of dendritic cells to stimulate naive t-cell proliferation. May be an important regulator of interactions between t-cells and dendritic cells and may play a role in the regulation of the t-cell-dependent immune response. sRANKL may also play an important role in enhanced bone-resorption in humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy.

TARC cDNA encodes a 94 amino acid precursor protein with a 23 amino acid residue signal peptide that is cleaved off to generate the 71 amino acid residue mature secreted protein. Along with CC chemokine family members, CCL-17 has approximately 24-29% amino acid sequence identity with RANTES, MIP-1a, MIP-1b, MCP-1, MCP-2, MCP-3 and I-309. TARC is expressed in thymus, and at a lower level in the lung, colon, and small intestine. TARC is in addition transiently expressed in stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Recombinant TARC has been shown to be chemotactic for T cell lines but not monocytes or neutrophils. CCL-17 was recently identified to be a specific functional ligand for CCR4, a receptor that is selectively expressed on T cells. CCL17 is one of quite a few Cys-Cys (CC) cytokine genes clustered on the q arm of chromosome 16. CCL17 shows chemotactic activity for T lymphocytes, but not monocytes or granulocytes. CCL17 binds to chemokine receptors CCR4 and CCR8. This chemokine plays important roles in T cell development in thymus as well as in trafficking and activation of mature T cells.

A 16-kDa peptide hormone secreted from white adipocytes and implicated in the regulation of food intake and energy balance. Leptin provides the key afferent signal from fat cells in the feedback system that controls body fat stores.

LFA-3 is ligand of the t-lymphocyte cd2 glycoprotein. This interaction is important in mediating thymocyte interactions with thymic epithelial cells, antigen-independent and dependent interactions of t-lymphocytes with target cells and antigen- presenting cells and the t-lymphocyte rosetting with erythrocytes. In addition, the lfa-3/cd2 interaction may prime response by both the cd2+ and lfa-3+ cells.

CMC4 is a downstream 8kDa protein restricts to mitochondria which was identified by participation in some t(X;14) translocations related with mature T-cell proliferations. This region has a compound gene structure, with a common promoter and 5’ exon spliced to two different groups of 3’ exons which encode 2 separate proteins.

CAMP belongs to the antimicrobial peptide family, contains highly conserved N-terminal signal peptide, a cathelin domain and a structurally variable cationic antimicrobial peptide that produced by extracellular proteolysis from the C-terminus. CAMP has numerous functions besides the antimicrobial activity such as: cell chemotaxis, immune mediator induction and inflammatory response regulation.

Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 3 (CXCL3) is a small cytokine belonging to the CXC chemokine family that is also known as GRO3 oncogene (GRO3), GRO protein gamma (GROg) and macrophage inflammatory protein-2-beta (MIP2b). CXCL3 controls migration and adhesion of monocytes and mediates it effects on its target cell by interacting with a cell surface chemokine receptor called CXCR2. The gene for CXCL3 is located on chromosome 4 in a cluster of other CXC chemokines.

Adiponectin is a protein exclusively secreted from adipose tissue. In the circulation, adiponectin is present as three different oligomeric complexes, including the high molecular weight (HMW), the middle molecular weight (MMW, also called hexamer) and low molecular weigh (LMW, also called trimer) forms. Different oligomeric complex of adiponectin activates different signaling pathways and exerts distinct functions.

CXCL14 is involved in immunoregulatory and inflammatory processes. BRAK protein is structurally related to the CXC (Cys-X-Cys) subfamily of cytokines. CXCL14 displays chemotactic activity for monocytes but not for lymphocytes, dendritic cells, neutrophils or macrophages. CXCL14 is involved in the homeostasis of monocyte-derived macrophages.

CXCL14 is involved in immunoregulatory and inflammatory processes. BRAK protein is structurally related to the CXC (Cys-X-Cys) subfamily of cytokines. CXCL14 displays chemotactic activity for monocytes but not for lymphocytes, dendritic cells, neutrophils or macrophages. CXCL14 is involved in the homeostasis of monocyte-derived macrophages.

CISD1 protein holds a CDGSH iron-sulfur domain and is known to bind a redox-active [2Fe-2S] cluster. CISD1 is restricted to the outer membrane of mitochondria and takes part in oxidation regulation.

SDF-1 (stromal cell-derived factor-1) is small cytokine belonging to the chemokine family that is officially designated Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12). It is produced in two forms, SDF-1?/CXCL12a and SDF-1?/CXCL12b, by alternate splicing of the same gene. Chemokines are characterized by the presence of four conserved cysteines, which form two disulfide bonds. The CXCL12 proteins belong to the group of CXC chemokines, whose initial pair of cysteines are separated by one intervening amino acid. CXCL12 is strongly chemotactic for lymphocytes and has been implicated as an important cell co-ordinator during development. During embryogenesis it directs the migration of hematopoietic cells from foetal liver to bone marrow. Mice which were knocked-out for CXCL12 gene were lethal before the birth or within just 1 hour of life. As another role, CXCL12a alters also the electrophysiology of neurons. CXCL12 was shown to be expressend in many tissues in mice (including brain, thymus, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen and bone marrow).
The receptor for this chemokine is CXCR4, which was previously called fusin. This CXCL12-CXCR4 interaction used to be considered exclusive (unlike for other chemokines and their receptors), but recently it was suggested that CXCL12 is also bound by CXCR7 receptor.
The gene for CXCL12 is located on human chromosome 10. In human and mouse both CXCL12 and CXCR4 show high identity of sequence: 99% and 90%, respectively.

APOA1 (Apolipoprotein A-1) is a human protein with a specific role in lipid metabolism being the main protein component of HDL in the plasma. APOA1 promotes cholesterol efflux from tissues to the liver for excretion. Furthermore, APOA1 is a cofactor for LCAT, which is responsible for the formation of most plasma cholesteryl esters. In addition, APOA1 activates spermatozoa motility as part of the SPAP complex. The APOA1 gene is strongly linked with two other apolipoprotein genes on chromosome 11. Defects in the APOA1 gene are linked to HDL deficiency including Tangier disease, and with systemic non-neuropathic amyloidosis. High levels of APOA1 are linked to the manifestation of asthma and atopy.

RANKL binds to tnfrsf11b/opg and to tnfrsf11a/rank. Osteoclast differentiation and activation factor. Augments the ability of dendritic cells to stimulate naive t-cell proliferation. May be an important regulator of interactions between t-cells and dendritic cells and may play a role in the regulation of the t-cell-dependent immune response. sRANKL may also play an important role in enhanced bone-resorption in humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. By injecting soluble RANKL, novel osteopenia model mice were established in only 50 hours. Degree of bone loss can be controlled by changing doses of sRANKL. RANKL can be used in establishing osteopenia model for in vivo screening of drugs for osteoporosis, determination of effect and mechanism, evaluation of bone anabolic drugs.

SIL1 is localized to endoplasmic reticulum (ER). SIL1 is an N-linked glycoprotein with an N-terminal ER targeting sequence, 2 putative N-glycosylation sites, and a C-terminal ER retention signal. SIL1 acts as a nucleotide exchange factor for another unfolded protein response protein. Mutations in SIL1 are linked to Marinesco-Sjogren syndrome.

Regulated upon Activation, Normal T-cell Expressed, and Secreted or RANTES is an 8 kDa protein classified as a chemotactic cytokine or chemokine. It has recently been renamed CCL5. RANTES is chemotactic for T cells, eosinophils and basophils and plays an active role in recruiting leukocytes into inflammatory sites. With the help of particular cytokines (i.e. IL-2 and IFN-?) that are released by T cells, RANTES also induces the proliferation and activation of certain natural killer (NK) cells to form CHAK (CC-Chemokine-activated killer) cells. It is also a HIV-suppressive factor released from CD8+ T cells. This chemokine has been localized to chromosome 17 in humans.

ACTN1 encodes a nonmuscle, cytoskeletal, alpha actinin isoform and maps to the same site as the structurally similar erythroid beta spectrin gene. Alpha actinins belong to the spectrin gene superfamily which represents a diverse group of cytoskeletal proteins, including the alpha and beta spectrins and dystrophins. Alpha actinin is an actin-binding protein with multiple roles in different cell types. In nonmuscle cells, the cytoskeletal isoform is found along microfilament bundles and adherens-type junctions, where it is involved in binding actin to the membrane. In contrast, skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle isoforms are localized to the Z-disc and analogous dense bodies, where they help anchor the myofibrillar actin filaments.

MAPK14 belongs to the MAP kinase family and is most associated with p38 MAP kinases(MAPKs). MAPKs are activated mainly as a reaction to cellular stress and inflammatory cytokines, and inhibitors that target the MAPK14 and MAPK11 have demonstrated ability to cure inflammatory disease. The substrates of this kinase contain transcription regulator ATF2, MEF2C, and MAX, cell cycle regulator CDC25B, and tumor suppressor p53, which demonstrate the parts of MAPK14 in stress-related transcription, cell cycle regulation and genotoxic stress response.

Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 3 also known as NCR3 is a natural cytotoxicity receptor (NCR) which assists NK cells in the lysis of tumor cells. Moreover, NCR3 interacts with CD3-zeta (CD247), a T-cell receptor. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the 5' untranslated region of NCR3 has been related with mild malaria suceptibility. Three transcript variants encoding various isoforms have been found for this gene.

Wingless-Type MMTV Integration Site Family, Member 7A also known as WNT7A belongs to the WNT gene family, this family consists of structurally related genes which encode secreted signaling proteins. These proteins have been implicated in oncogenesis and in several developmental processes, including regulation of cell fate and patterning during embryogenesis. WNT7A is involved in the development of the anterior-posterior axis in the female reproductive tract, and also plays an essential role in uterine smooth muscle pattering and maintenance of adult uterine function. In addition, Mutations in WNT7A have been associated with Fuhrmann and Al-Awadi Raas-Rothschild Schinzel phocomelia syndromes.

A 16-kDa peptide hormone secreted from white adipocytes and implicated in the regulation of food intake and energy balance. Leptin provides the key afferent signal from fat cells in the feedback system that controls body fat stores.

BCDIN3D is a member of the methyltransferase superfamily and contains 1 Bin3-type SAM domain. BCDIN3D acts in the catalysis of the transfer of a methyl group to an acceptor molecule. BCDIN3D is an O-methyltransferase which specifically dimethylates the 5' monophosphate of pre-miRNAs, serving as a negative regulator of miRNA processing. BCDIN3D mediates the methylation of pre-miR-145, as well as other pre-miRNAs.

Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 10 (CXCL10) is a small cytokine belonging to the CXC chemokine family. CXCL10 is secreted by several cell types. These cell types include monocytes, endothelial cells and fibroblasts. CXCL10 has been attributed to several roles, such as chemoattraction for monocytes and T cells, promotion of T cell adhesion to endothelial cells, antitumor activity, and inhibition of bone marrow colony formation and angiogenesis. The gene for CXCL10 is located on human chromosome 4 in a cluster among several other CXC chemokines. This chemokine elicits its effects by binding to the cell surface chemokine receptor CXCR3. The three-dimensional crystal structure of this chemokine has been determined under 3 different conditions to a resolution of up to 1.92A.