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Hearps AC, Vootukuru N, Ebrahimnezhaddarzi S, Harney BL, Boo I, Nguyen L, Pavlyshyn D, Dietze PM, Drummer HE, Thompson AJ, Jaworowski A, Hellard ME, Sacks-Davis R, Doyle JS. Injecting drug use and hepatitis C virus infection independently increase biomarkers of inflammatory disease risk which are incompletely restored by curative direct-acting antiviral therapy. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1352440. [PMID: 38420130 PMCID: PMC10899672 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1352440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are more prevalent in people who inject drugs (PWID) who often experience additional health risks. HCV induces inflammation and immune alterations that contribute to hepatic and non-hepatic morbidities. It remains unclear whether curative direct acting antiviral (DAA) therapy completely reverses immune alterations in PWID. Methods Plasma biomarkers of immune activation associated with chronic disease risk were measured in HCV-seronegative (n=24) and HCV RNA+ (n=32) PWID at baseline and longitudinally after DAA therapy. Adjusted generalised estimating equations were used to assess longitudinal changes in biomarker levels. Comparisons between community controls (n=29) and HCV-seronegative PWID were made using adjusted multiple regression modelling. Results HCV-seronegative PWID exhibited significantly increased levels of inflammatory biomarkers including soluble (s) TNF-RII, IL-6, sCD14 and sCD163 and the diabetes index HbA1c as compared to community controls. CXCL10, sTNF-RII, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) were additionally elevated in PWID with viremic HCV infection as compared to HCV- PWID. Whilst curative DAA therapy reversed some biomarkers, others including LBP and sTNF-RII remained elevated 48 weeks after HCV cure. Conclusion Elevated levels of inflammatory and chronic disease biomarkers in PWID suggest an increased risk of chronic morbidities such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. HCV infection in PWID poses an additional disease burden, amplified by the incomplete reversal of immune dysfunction following DAA therapy. These findings highlight the need for heightened clinical surveillance of PWID for chronic inflammatory diseases, particularly those with a history of HCV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C. Hearps
- Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred and Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Nikil Vootukuru
- Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Gastroenterology, Eastern Health and Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Brendan L. Harney
- Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred and Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Irene Boo
- Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Long Nguyen
- Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Damian Pavlyshyn
- Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Paul M. Dietze
- Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Heidi E. Drummer
- Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alexander J. Thompson
- Department of Gastroenterology, St Vincent’s Hospital and the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Anthony Jaworowski
- Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred and Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Margaret E. Hellard
- Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred and Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Rachel Sacks-Davis
- Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Joseph S. Doyle
- Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred and Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Mondelli MU, Ottolini S, Oliviero B, Mantovani S, Cerino A, Mele D, Varchetta S. Hepatitis C Virus and the Host: A Mutual Endurance Leaving Indelible Scars in the Host's Immunity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:268. [PMID: 38203436 PMCID: PMC10779088 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has spread worldwide, and it is responsible for potentially severe chronic liver disease and primary liver cancer. Chronic infection remains for life if not spontaneously eliminated and viral persistence profoundly impairs the efficiency of the host's immunity. Attempts have been made to develop an effective vaccine, but efficacy trials have met with failure. The availability of highly efficacious direct-acting antivirals (DAA) has created hope for the progressive elimination of chronic HCV infections; however, this approach requires a monumental global effort. HCV elicits a prompt innate immune response in the host, characterized by a robust production of interferon-α (IFN-α), although interference in IFN-α signaling by HCV proteins may curb this effect. The late appearance of largely ineffective neutralizing antibodies and the progressive exhaustion of T cells, particularly CD8 T cells, result in the inability to eradicate the virus in most infected patients. Moreover, an HCV cure resulting from DAA treatment does not completely restore the normal immunologic homeostasis. Here, we discuss the main immunological features of immune responses to HCV and the epigenetic scars that chronic viral persistence leaves behind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario U. Mondelli
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (B.O.); (S.M.); (A.C.); (D.M.); (S.V.)
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Sabrina Ottolini
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Barbara Oliviero
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (B.O.); (S.M.); (A.C.); (D.M.); (S.V.)
| | - Stefania Mantovani
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (B.O.); (S.M.); (A.C.); (D.M.); (S.V.)
| | - Antonella Cerino
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (B.O.); (S.M.); (A.C.); (D.M.); (S.V.)
| | - Dalila Mele
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (B.O.); (S.M.); (A.C.); (D.M.); (S.V.)
| | - Stefania Varchetta
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (B.O.); (S.M.); (A.C.); (D.M.); (S.V.)
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