Noncytopathic clearance of HBV from the hepatocyte by T cell- derived cytokines. On antigen recognition, CD8-positive CTL deliver an apoptotic signal to their target cells, killing them. They also secrete IFNγ and TNF-α, cytokines that abolish viral replication and HBV gene expression in vivo, potentially curing them. Reprinted/amended from Am J Pathol 2000, 156:1117–1132 with permission from the American Society for Investigative Pathology.