Table 1.

Immunological characteristics of exposed uninfected individuals

Immunological Component	Functional Outcome	Comparator Group	Reference
IL28B CC allele (rs12979860)	No difference compared to chronically infected individuals. Reduced frequency compared to spontaneous resolvers	Spontaneous resolvers and chronically infected individuals	9
KIR2DL3 genotype	Increased frequency of KIR2DL3:HLA‐C1 homozygosity	Chronically infected individuals	26
	No difference in frequency of KIR2DL3:HLA‐C1 homozygosity	Pre‐infection samples from IDUs with subsequent seroconversion	25
IL12B CC allele (rs3213113)	Increased frequency compared to healthy controls	Healthy controls	22
Serum cytokine levels	Elevated IL6, IL8 and TNF‐α	Healthy controls, spontaneous resolvers and chronically infected individuals	24
HCV‐specific T cells	Evidence of IFN‐γ production and T‐cell proliferation	Healthy controls and chronically infected individuals	21, 41
Natural Killer Cells	Enhanced IL‐2‐mediated cytotoxicity. Increased NKp30 expression	Pre‐infection samples from IDUs with subsequent seroconversion	23