What Are The Chances of Getting Hep C Sexually?

Unveiling the process of sexual transmission

How can we understand the sexual transmission of hepatitis C?

According to studies, it is associated with cells in the mucosal tissues called Langerhans cells, a subset of other cells known as Dendritic cells. Langerhans cells and other types of dendritic cells detect the invaders (in this case, the hepatitis C virus), capture the virus, and take it to lymphocytes. They have good intentions in doing so because lymphocytes should then create defenses against the virus. But sometimes, this does not happen, and lymphocytes circulate in the blood and reach the liver. Once in the liver, the hepatitis C virus can invade the hepatocyte and start the infection.

So, all attention stays on dendritic cells because they are apparently an essential key to transmitting the virus. They have a series of membrane receptors that recognize HCV proteins, especially two of them called DC-SIGN and L-SIGN. They are responsible for capturing the virus and taking it to lymphocytes. There are plenty of dendritic cells in the anal mucosa, which is why anal intercourse is considered particularly risky behavior for the transmission of hepatitis C.