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Tariq M, Shoukat AB, Akbar S, Hameed S, Naqvi MZ, Azher A, Saad M, Rizwan M, Nadeem M, Javed A, Ali A, Aziz S. Epidemiology, risk factors, and pathogenesis associated with a superbug: A comprehensive literature review on hepatitis C virus infection. SAGE Open Med 2022; 10:20503121221105957. [PMID: 35795865 PMCID: PMC9252020 DOI: 10.1177/20503121221105957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Viral hepatitis is a major public health concern. It is associated with life threatening conditions including liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis C virus infects around 71 million people annually, resultantly 700,000 deaths worldwide. Extrahepatic associated chronic hepatitis C virus accounts for one fourth of total healthcare load. This review included a total of 150 studies that revealed almost 19 million people are infected with hepatitis C virus and 240,000 new cases are being reported each year. This trend is continually rising in developing countries like Pakistan where intravenous drug abuse, street barbers, unsafe blood transfusions, use of unsterilized surgical instruments and recycled syringes plays a major role in virus transmission. Almost 123–180 million people are found to be hepatitis C virus infected or carrier that accounts for 2%–3% of world’s population. The general symptoms of hepatitis C virus infection include fatigue, jaundice, dark urine, anorexia, fever malaise, nausea and constipation varying on severity and chronicity of infection. More than 90% of hepatitis C virus infected patients are treated with direct-acting antiviral agents that prevent progression of liver disease, decreasing the elevation of hepatocellular carcinoma. Standardizing the healthcare techniques, minimizing the street practices, and screening for viral hepatitis on mass levels for early diagnosis and prompt treatment may help in decreasing the burden on already fragmented healthcare system. However, more advanced studies on larger populations focusing on mode of transmission and treatment protocols are warranted to understand and minimize the overall infection and death stigma among masses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehlayl Tariq
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Abu Bakar Shoukat
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Sedrah Akbar
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Samaia Hameed
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muniba Zainab Naqvi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Ayesha Azher
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Saad
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.,BreathMAT Lab, IAD, Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Rizwan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Nadeem
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Anum Javed
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Asad Ali
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Shahid Aziz
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.,BreathMAT Lab, IAD, Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), Islamabad, Pakistan
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2
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Takagi A, Amako Y, Yamane D, Kitab B, Tokunaga Y, El-Gohary A, Kohara M, Tsukiyama-Kohara K. Longer Poly(U) Stretches in the 3'UTR Are Essential for Replication of the Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 4a Clone in in vitro and in vivo. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:764816. [PMID: 34899647 PMCID: PMC8656456 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.764816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome plays a significant role in replication including the poly(U) tract (You and Rice, 2008). Here we established an HCV clone that is infectious in vitro and in vivo, from an Egyptian patient with chronic HCV infection and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). First, we inoculated the patient plasma into a humanized chimeric mouse and passaged. We observed HCV genotype 4a propagation in the chimeric mouse sera at 1.7 × 107 copies/mL after 6 weeks. Next, we cloned the entire HCV sequence from the HCV-infected chimeric mouse sera using RT-PCR, and 5′ and 3′ RACE methodologies. We obtained first a shorter clone (HCV-G4 KM short, GenBank: AB795432.1), which contained 9,545 nucleotides with 341 nucleotides of the 5′UTR and 177 nucleotides of the 3′UTR, and this was frequently obtained for unknown reasons. We also obtained a longer clone by dividing the HCV genome into three fragments and the poly (U) sequences. We obtained a longer 3′UTR sequence than that of the HCV-G4 KM short clone, which contained 9,617 nucleotides. This longer clone possessed a 3′-UTR of 249 nucleotides (HCV-G4 KM long, GenBank: AB795432.2), because of a 71-nucleotide longer poly (U) stretch. The HCV-G4-KM long clone, but not the HCV-G4-KM short clone, could establish infection in human hepatoma HuH-7 cells. HCV RNAs carrying a nanoluciferase (NL) reporter were also constructed and higher replication activity was observed with G4-KM long-NL in vitro. Next, both short and long RNAs were intra-hepatically injected into humanized chimeric mice. Viral propagation was only observed for the chimeric mouse injected with the HCV-G4 KM long RNA in the sera after 21 days (1.64 × 106 copies/mL) and continued until 10 weeks post inoculation (wpi; 1.45–4.74 × 107 copies/mL). Moreover, sequencing of the HCV genome in mouse sera at 6 wpi revealed the sequence of the HCV-G4-KM long clone. Thus, the in vitro and in vivo results of this study indicate that the sequence of the HCV-G4-KM long RNA is that of an infectious clone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asako Takagi
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaka Amako
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Yamane
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Bouchra Kitab
- Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Transboundary Animal Diseases Centre, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.,Laboratory of Animal Hygiene, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Yuko Tokunaga
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ahmed El-Gohary
- Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, New-Borg El Arab City, Egypt.,Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Michinori Kohara
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kyoko Tsukiyama-Kohara
- Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Transboundary Animal Diseases Centre, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.,Laboratory of Animal Hygiene, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
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3
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Davis C, Mgomella GS, da Silva Filipe A, Frost EH, Giroux G, Hughes J, Hogan C, Kaleebu P, Asiki G, McLauchlan J, Niebel M, Ocama P, Pomila C, Pybus OG, Pépin J, Simmonds P, Singer JB, Sreenu VB, Wekesa C, Young EH, Murphy DG, Sandhu M, Thomson EC. Highly Diverse Hepatitis C Strains Detected in Sub-Saharan Africa Have Unknown Susceptibility to Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatments. Hepatology 2019; 69:1426-1441. [PMID: 30387174 PMCID: PMC6492010 DOI: 10.1002/hep.30342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The global plan to eradicate hepatitis C virus (HCV) led by the World Health Organization outlines the use of highly effective direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs) to achieve elimination by 2030. Identifying individuals with active disease and investigation of the breadth of diversity of the virus in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is essential as genotypes in this region (where very few clinical trials have been carried out) are distinct from those found in other parts of the world. We undertook a population-based, nested case-control study in Uganda and obtained additional samples from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to estimate the prevalence of HCV, assess strategies for disease detection using serological and molecular techniques, and characterize genetic diversity of the virus. Using next-generation and Sanger sequencing, we aimed to identify strains circulating in East and Central Africa. A total of 7,751 Ugandan patients were initially screened for HCV, and 20 PCR-positive samples were obtained for sequencing. Serological assays were found to vary significantly in specificity for HCV. HCV strains detected in Uganda included genotype (g) 4k, g4p, g4q, and g4s and a newly identified unassigned g7 HCV strain. Two additional unassigned g7 strains were identified in patients originating from DRC (one partial and one full open reading frame sequence). These g4 and g7 strains contain nonstructural (ns) protein 3 and 5A polymorphisms associated with resistance to DAAs in other genotypes. Clinical studies are therefore indicated to investigate treatment response in infected patients. Conclusion: Although HCV prevalence and genotypes have been well characterized in patients in well-resourced countries, clinical trials are urgently required in SSA, where highly diverse g4 and g7 strains circulate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Davis
- Medical Research Council ‐ University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchGlasgowUnited Kingdom
| | - George S. Mgomella
- Department of Medicine ‐ University of CambridgeCambridgeCambridgeshireUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Sanger InstituteHinxtonCambridgeshireUnited Kingdom
| | - Ana da Silva Filipe
- Medical Research Council ‐ University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchGlasgowUnited Kingdom
| | | | | | - Joseph Hughes
- Medical Research Council ‐ University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchGlasgowUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Pontiano Kaleebu
- Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute & London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Uganda Research UnitEntebbeUganda
- Uganda Virus Research InstituteEntebbeUganda
| | | | - John McLauchlan
- Medical Research Council ‐ University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchGlasgowUnited Kingdom
| | - Marc Niebel
- Medical Research Council ‐ University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchGlasgowUnited Kingdom
| | - Ponsiano Ocama
- Department of MedicineMakerere University College of Health SciencesKampalaUganda
| | - Cristina Pomila
- Department of Medicine ‐ University of CambridgeCambridgeCambridgeshireUnited Kingdom
| | - Oliver G. Pybus
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Peter Simmonds
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen ResearchUniversity of OxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Joshua B. Singer
- Medical Research Council ‐ University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchGlasgowUnited Kingdom
| | - Vattipally B. Sreenu
- Medical Research Council ‐ University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchGlasgowUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Elizabeth H. Young
- Department of Medicine ‐ University of CambridgeCambridgeCambridgeshireUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Sanger InstituteHinxtonCambridgeshireUnited Kingdom
| | - Donald G. Murphy
- National Institute of Public Health of Quebec, Laboratory of Public Health of QuebecSainte‐Anne‐de‐BellevueQuebecCanada
| | - Manj Sandhu
- Department of Medicine ‐ University of CambridgeCambridgeCambridgeshireUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Sanger InstituteHinxtonCambridgeshireUnited Kingdom
| | - Emma C. Thomson
- Medical Research Council ‐ University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchGlasgowUnited Kingdom
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4
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is divided into 7 genotypes and 67 subtypes. HCV genotype studies reflect the viral transmission patterns as well as human migration routes. In a clinical setting, HCV genotype is a baseline predictor for the sustained virological response (SVR) in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with peginterferon or some direct acting antivirals (DAAs). The Versant HCV genotype 2.0 assay has been globally used for HCV genotyping over a decade. Areas covered: The assay is based on reverse hybridization principle. It is evolved from its former versions, and the accuracy and successful genotyping/subtyping rate are substantially improved. It shows an accuracy of 99-100% for genotypes 1-6. It can also reliably identify subtypes 1a and 1b. However, the assay does not allow a high resolution for many other subtypes. Reasons for indeterminate or inaccurate genotyping/subtyping results are discussed. Expert commentary: Genotyping helps to find the most efficacious and cost-effective treatment regimen. The rapid development of anti-HCV treatment regimens, however, is greatly simplifying laboratory tests. In the near future, the need for HCV genotyping and frequent serial on-treatment HCV RNA tests will decrease along with the wide use of the more potent and pan-genotypic DAA regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruifeng Yang
- a Peking University People's Hospital, Peking University Hepatology Institute , Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Diseases , Beijing , China
| | - Lai Wei
- a Peking University People's Hospital, Peking University Hepatology Institute , Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Diseases , Beijing , China
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Soria ME, Gregori J, Chen Q, García-Cehic D, Llorens M, de Ávila AI, Beach NM, Domingo E, Rodríguez-Frías F, Buti M, Esteban R, Esteban JI, Quer J, Perales C. Pipeline for specific subtype amplification and drug resistance detection in hepatitis C virus. BMC Infect Dis 2018; 18:446. [PMID: 30176817 PMCID: PMC6122477 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-018-3356-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the high sustained virological response rates achieved with current directly-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) against hepatitis C virus (HCV), around 5-10% of treated patients do not respond to current antiviral therapies, and basal resistance to DAAs is increasingly detected among treatment-naïve infected individuals. Identification of amino acid substitutions (including those in minority variants) associated with treatment failure requires analytical designs that take into account the high diversification of HCV in more than 86 subtypes according to the ICTV website (June 2017). METHODS The methodology has involved five sequential steps: (i) to design 280 oligonucleotide primers (some including a maximum of three degenerate positions), and of which 120 were tested to amplify NS3, NS5A-, and NS5B-coding regions in a subtype-specific manner, (ii) to define a reference sequence for each subtype, (iii) to perform experimental controls to define a cut-off value for detection of minority amino acids, (iv) to establish bioinformatics' tools to quantify amino acid replacements, and (v) to validate the procedure with patient samples. RESULTS A robust ultra-deep sequencing procedure to analyze HCV circulating in serum samples from patients infected with virus that belongs to the ten most prevalent subtypes worldwide: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2j, 3a, 4d, 4e, 4f has been developed. Oligonucleotide primers are subtype-specific. A cut-off value of 1% mutant frequency has been established for individual mutations and haplotypes. CONCLUSION The methodological pipeline described here is adequate to characterize in-depth mutant spectra of HCV populations, and it provides a tool to understand HCV diversification and treatment failures. The pipeline can be periodically extended in the event of HCV diversification into new genotypes or subtypes, and provides a framework applicable to other RNA viral pathogens, with potential to couple detection of drug-resistant mutations with treatment planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Soria
- 0000 0004 1763 0287grid.430994.3Liver Unit, Internal Medicine Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Gregori
- 0000 0004 1763 0287grid.430994.3Liver Unit, Internal Medicine Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
- grid.452371.6Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Roche Diagnostics, S.L, Sant Cugat del Vallés, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Qian Chen
- 0000 0004 1763 0287grid.430994.3Liver Unit, Internal Medicine Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Damir García-Cehic
- 0000 0004 1763 0287grid.430994.3Liver Unit, Internal Medicine Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
- grid.452371.6Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Meritxell Llorens
- 0000 0004 1763 0287grid.430994.3Liver Unit, Internal Medicine Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana I. de Ávila
- grid.465524.4Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nathan M. Beach
- grid.465524.4Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esteban Domingo
- grid.452371.6Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- grid.465524.4Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Rodríguez-Frías
- grid.452371.6Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- 0000 0001 0675 8654grid.411083.fLiver Pathology Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
- grid.7080.fUniversitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Buti
- 0000 0004 1763 0287grid.430994.3Liver Unit, Internal Medicine Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
- grid.452371.6Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- grid.7080.fUniversitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Esteban
- 0000 0004 1763 0287grid.430994.3Liver Unit, Internal Medicine Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
- grid.452371.6Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- grid.7080.fUniversitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Ignacio Esteban
- 0000 0004 1763 0287grid.430994.3Liver Unit, Internal Medicine Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
- grid.452371.6Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- grid.7080.fUniversitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Quer
- 0000 0004 1763 0287grid.430994.3Liver Unit, Internal Medicine Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
- grid.452371.6Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- grid.7080.fUniversitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Celia Perales
- 0000 0004 1763 0287grid.430994.3Liver Unit, Internal Medicine Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
- grid.452371.6Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- grid.465524.4Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
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6
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Ordeig L, Garcia-Cehic D, Gregori J, Soria ME, Nieto-Aponte L, Perales C, Llorens M, Chen Q, Riveiro-Barciela M, Buti M, Esteban R, Esteban JI, Rodriguez-Frias F, Quer J. New hepatitis C virus genotype 1 subtype naturally harbouring resistance-associated mutations to NS5A inhibitors. J Gen Virol 2018; 99:97-102. [PMID: 29239718 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a highly divergent virus currently classified into seven major genotypes and 86 subtypes (ICTV, June 2017), which can have differing responses to therapy. Accurate genotyping/subtyping using high-resolution HCV subtyping enables confident subtype identification, identifies mixed infections and allows detection of new subtypes. During routine genotyping/subtyping, one sample from an Equatorial Guinea patient could not be classified into any of the subtypes. The complete genomic sequence was compared to reference sequences by phylogenetic and sliding window analysis. Resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) were assessed by deep sequencing. The unclassified HCV genome did not belong to any of the existing genotype 1 (G1) subtypes. Sliding window analysis along the complete genome ruled out recombination phenomena suggesting that it belongs to a new HCV G1 subtype. Two NS5A RASs (L31V+Y93H) were found to be naturally combined in the genome which could limit treatment possibilities in patients infected with this subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Ordeig
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d'Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (HUVH), 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Damir Garcia-Cehic
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d'Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (HUVH), 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Josep Gregori
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d'Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (HUVH), 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Roche Diagnostics SL, Sant Cugat del Vallès, 08174, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Eugenia Soria
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d'Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (HUVH), 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Leonardo Nieto-Aponte
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Liver Pathology Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, HUVH, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Celia Perales
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d'Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (HUVH), 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Meritxell Llorens
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d'Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (HUVH), 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Qian Chen
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d'Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (HUVH), 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mar Riveiro-Barciela
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d'Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (HUVH), 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Buti
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d'Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (HUVH), 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Esteban
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d'Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (HUVH), 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Ignacio Esteban
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d'Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (HUVH), 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francisco Rodriguez-Frias
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Liver Pathology Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, HUVH, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Quer
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d'Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (HUVH), 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
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7
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Twagirumugabe T, Swaibu G, Bergström T, Walker TD, Gahutu JB, Norder H. Low prevalence of hepatitis C virus RNA in blood donors with anti-hepatitis C virus reactivity in Rwanda. Transfusion 2017; 57:2420-2432. [PMID: 28671283 DOI: 10.1111/trf.14204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of severe liver disease worldwide and is highly endemic in Africa, where it often has nosocomial spread. Little is known on the HCV prevalence, risk for transfusion-transmitted HCV, and circulating genotypes in Rwanda. This study was performed to investigate the prevalence of anti-HCV among blood donors from all regions of the country and genetically characterize identified HCV strains. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Data on anti-HCV reactivity for all 45,061 Rwandan blood donations during 2014 were compiled. Samples from 720 blood donors were reanalyzed for anti-HCV in Sweden. Line immunoassay INNO-LIA HCV and detection of HCV RNA by polymerase chain reaction were used to confirm anti-HCV reactivity. The NS5B and core regions were sequenced and phylogenetic analysis was performed. RESULTS The anti-HCV prevalence among all first-time blood donors was 1.6%, with the highest occurrence in donors from the eastern region. On further analysis, only 25 of 120 primarily anti-HCV-reactive samples could be confirmed reactive and 15 samples had indeterminate results by INNO-LIA. Confirmed reactivity was more common among females than males (p = 0.03) with no regional difference. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences showed a predominance of subtypes 4k, 4q, and 4r, with no geographical difference in their distribution. CONCLUSION The prevalence of anti-HCV among Rwandan blood donors has probably been overestimated previously due to the high rate of nonconfirmable anti-HCV reactivity. Further study of the involved mechanism is needed to avoid loss of blood products and distress for blood donors and other test recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theogene Twagirumugabe
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda
| | - Gatare Swaibu
- RBC-NCBT: Rwanda Biomedical Center-National Center for Blood Transfusion, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Tomas Bergström
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Timothy David Walker
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda
| | - Jean Bosco Gahutu
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda
| | - Heléne Norder
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Bukh J. The history of hepatitis C virus (HCV): Basic research reveals unique features in phylogeny, evolution and the viral life cycle with new perspectives for epidemic control. J Hepatol 2016; 65:S2-S21. [PMID: 27641985 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2016.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 1989 permitted basic research to unravel critical components of a complex life cycle for this important human pathogen. HCV is a highly divergent group of viruses classified in 7 major genotypes and a great number of subtypes, and circulating in infected individuals as a continuously evolving quasispecies destined to escape host immune responses and applied antivirals. Despite the inability to culture patient viruses directly in the laboratory, efforts to define the infectious genome of HCV resulted in development of experimental recombinant in vivo and in vitro systems, including replicons and infectious cultures in human hepatoma cell lines. And HCV has become a model virus defining new paradigms in virology, immunology and biology. For example, HCV research discovered that a virus could be completely dependent on microRNA for its replication since microRNA-122 is critical for the HCV life cycle. A number of other host molecules critical for HCV entry and replication have been identified. Thus, basic HCV research revealed important molecules for development of host targeting agents (HTA). The identification and characterization of HCV encoded proteins and their functional units contributed to the development of highly effective direct acting antivirals (DAA) against the NS3 protease, NS5A and the NS5B polymerase. In combination, these inhibitors have since 2014 permitted interferon-free therapy with cure rates above 90% among patients with chronic HCV infection; however, viral resistance represents a challenge. Worldwide control of HCV will most likely require the development of a prophylactic vaccine, and numerous candidates have been pursued. Research characterizing features critical for antibody-based virus neutralization and T cell based virus elimination from infected cells is essential for this effort. If the world community promotes an ambitious approach by applying current DAA broadly, continues to develop alternative viral- and host- targeted antivirals to combat resistant variants, and invests in the development of a vaccine, it would be possible to eradicate HCV. This would prevent about 500 thousand deaths annually. However, given the nature of HCV, the millions of new infections annually, a high chronicity rate, and with over 150 million individuals with chronic infection (which are frequently unidentified), this effort remains a major challenge for basic researchers, clinicians and communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Analysis of HCV-6 isolates among Asian-born immigrants in North America reveals their high genetic diversity and a new subtype. Virology 2016; 492:25-31. [PMID: 26896932 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2016.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
We characterized full-length genomes for 15 HCV-6 isolates, all from Asian immigrants living in North America. Among these isolates, nine were novel variants showing >15% nucleotide differences from their nearest relatives, representing lineages distinct from known subtypes. The other six were classified into subtypes 6c, 6h, 6q, 6r, and 6s. The partial sequences were also determined for five additional HCV-6 isolates, three from the US and two from Canada. The latter two were assigned to new subtype 6xf as they were found to classify with two other isolates for which we recently reported their full-length genomes. We further analyzed partial Core-E1 sequences of 100 HCV-6 isolates sampled in North America, seven from the US and 93 from Canada and all from Asian immigrants except for four from Caucasians. These 100 isolates belonged to 20 assigned subtypes and 16 unclassified lineages showing great genetic diversity and enhanced significance to public health.
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