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Jiang X, Lv X, Chang L, Yan Y, Ji H, Sun H, Guo F, Rodgers MA, Yin P, Wang L. Molecular characterization of hepatitis C virus for subtype determination and resistance-associated substitutions detection among Chinese voluntary blood donors. Antiviral Res 2020; 181:104871. [PMID: 32717286 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the resulting burden of the disease are significant issues to public health worldwide. Although direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs) with good tolerance and bioavailability are available, resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) often jeopardize the successful sustainment of virological responses in HCV treatment. High-frequency baseline RASs in treatment-naïve patients can lead to failures in DAA treatment. Clinical data on HCV RASs in patients from China are limited and require investigations. METHODS 262 HCV RNA positive plasma from Chinese blood donors were genotyped and amplified with subtype-specific primers for NS3 and NS5A regions. RASs were analyzed using Geno2pheno. The codon usage of each resistance-associated substitution was calculated for genetic barrier analysis. RESULTS The two main subtypes in mainland China were 1b and 2a, followed by subtype 6a, 3b, 3a, and 1a. In NS3 region of 1b subtype, substitutions (T54S, V55A, Y56F, Q80 K/L, S122 G/T, R117 H/C, V170I and S174A) were present in 89.7% (96/107) of the samples. Other RASs (M28L, R30Q, P58 L/S and Y93H) were observed in 22.1% (25/113) of the samples in NS5A region. A crucial RAS, Q80K, and two other mutations (S122G + V170I) was identified in the same sequence, which reduced its susceptibility to protease inhibitor ASV and resulted in resistance to SMV. In NS5A, Y93H was detected in 9.7% (11/113) of the 1b samples, leading to medium-to-high level resistance to all six commercialized NS5A inhibitors. S122G-NS3 and Y93H-NS5A occurred simultaneously in 38.1% (7/22) of the samples with mutations in both two regions. Moreover, codon usage of S122G-NS3 and Y93H-NS5A revealed that both variants had the lowest genetic barrier and required only one transition to confer resistance. CONCLUSIONS Low genetic barriers facilitated the generation of resistance mutants and threated the efficacy of DAA regimens. The baseline RASs posed a great challenge to real-world DAA application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Jiang
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China; Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, PR China; Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
| | - Xiaoting Lv
- Abbott Laboratories, Research and Development, Shanghai, PR China.
| | - Le Chang
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China; Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, PR China.
| | - Ying Yan
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China; Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, PR China.
| | - Huimin Ji
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China; Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, PR China.
| | - Huizhen Sun
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China; Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, PR China; Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
| | - Fei Guo
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China; Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, PR China.
| | - Mary A Rodgers
- Abbott Laboratories, Infectious Disease Research, Abbott Park, IL, USA.
| | - Peng Yin
- Abbott Laboratories, Infectious Disease Research, Abbott Park, IL, USA.
| | - Lunan Wang
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China; Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, PR China; Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
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Hayes CN, Imamura M, Chayama K. Management of HCV patients in cases of direct-acting antiviral failure. Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019; 13:839-848. [PMID: 31392907 DOI: 10.1080/17474124.2019.1651642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Over 70 million people are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), increasing the risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Areas covered: Since the approval of the first interferon-free direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy in 2011, a number of DAAs have been approved, and HCV is now considered curable. Until recently, however, there were no clear guidelines on how to re-treat patients who fail DAA therapy. Current protease inhibitors (PIs) are generally unaffected by earlier resistance-associated variants (RAVs), but many NS5A inhibitors continue to have overlapping resistance profiles, and NS5A RAVs can persist even in the absence of DAAs. Expert opinion: Fortunately, RAVs affecting NS5B polymerase inhibitors are rare, making sofosbuvir a safe choice as the backbone of re-treatment therapies. Recent re-treatment guidelines that take into account genotype, fibrosis, treatment history, and RAV suggest that >90% of patients with prior treatment failures can be successfully re-treated with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir or glecaprevir/pibrentasvir.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Nelson Hayes
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University , Hiroshima , Japan.,Liver Research Project Center, Hiroshima University , Hiroshima , Japan
| | - Michio Imamura
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University , Hiroshima , Japan.,Liver Research Project Center, Hiroshima University , Hiroshima , Japan
| | - Kazuaki Chayama
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University , Hiroshima , Japan.,Liver Research Project Center, Hiroshima University , Hiroshima , Japan
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Raja R, Baral S, Dixit NM. Interferon at the cellular, individual, and population level in hepatitis C virus infection: Its role in the interferon-free treatment era. Immunol Rev 2019; 285:55-71. [PMID: 30129199 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The advent of powerful direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) has revolutionized the treatment of hepatitis C. DAAs cure nearly all patients with short duration, oral treatments. Significant efforts are now underway to optimize DAA-based treatments. We discuss the potential role of interferon in this optimization. Clinical studies present compelling evidence that DAAs perform better in treatment-naive individuals than in individuals who previously failed treatment with interferon, a surprising correlation because interferon and DAAs are thought to act independently. Recent mathematical models explore a mechanistic hypothesis underlying this correlation. The hypothesis invokes the action of interferon at the cellular, individual, and population levels. Strong interferon responses prevent the productive infection of cells, reduce viral replication, and impede the development of resistance to DAAs in infected individuals and improve cure rates elicited by DAAs in treated populations. The models develop descriptions of these processes, integrate them into a comprehensive framework, and capture clinical data quantitatively, providing a successful test of the hypothesis. Individuals with strong endogenous interferon responses thus present a promising subpopulation for reducing DAA treatment durations. This review discusses the conceptual advances made by the models, highlights the new insights they unravel, and examines their applicability to optimize DAA-based treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubesh Raja
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Subhasish Baral
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Narendra M Dixit
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.,Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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Raja R, Pareek A, Newar K, Dixit NM. Mutational pathway maps and founder effects define the within-host spectrum of hepatitis C virus mutants resistant to drugs. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007701. [PMID: 30934020 PMCID: PMC6459561 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of the within-host frequencies of resistance-associated amino acid variants (RAVs) is important to the identification of optimal drug combinations for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Multiple RAVs may exist in infected individuals, often below detection limits, at any resistance locus, defining the diversity of accessible resistance pathways. We developed a multiscale mathematical model to estimate the pre-treatment frequencies of the entire spectrum of mutants at chosen loci. Using a codon-level description of amino acids, we performed stochastic simulations of intracellular dynamics with every possible nucleotide variant as the infecting strain and estimated the relative infectivity of each variant and the resulting distribution of variants produced. We employed these quantities in a deterministic multi-strain model of extracellular dynamics and estimated mutant frequencies. Our predictions captured database frequencies of the RAV R155K, resistant to NS3/4A protease inhibitors, presenting a successful test of our formalism. We found that mutational pathway maps, interconnecting all viable mutants, and strong founder effects determined the mutant spectrum. The spectra were vastly different for HCV genotypes 1a and 1b, underlying their differential responses to drugs. Using a fitness landscape determined recently, we estimated that 13 amino acid variants, encoded by 44 codons, exist at the residue 93 of the NS5A protein, illustrating the massive diversity of accessible resistance pathways at specific loci. Accounting for this diversity, which our model enables, would help optimize drug combinations. Our model may be applied to describe the within-host evolution of other flaviviruses and inform vaccine design strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubesh Raja
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Aditya Pareek
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Kapil Newar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Narendra M. Dixit
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
- Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
- * E-mail:
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Knops E, Sierra S, Kalaghatgi P, Heger E, Kaiser R, Kalinina OV. Epistatic Interactions in NS5A of Hepatitis C Virus Suggest Drug Resistance Mechanisms. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:E343. [PMID: 29986475 PMCID: PMC6071292 DOI: 10.3390/genes9070343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes a major health burden and can be effectively treated by direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). The non-structural protein 5A (NS5A), which plays a role in the viral genome replication, is one of the DAAs’ targets. Resistance-associated viruses (RAVs) harbouring NS5A resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) have been described at baseline and after therapy failure. A mutation from glutamine to arginine at position 30 (Q30R) is a characteristic RAM for the HCV sub/genotype (GT) 1a, but arginine corresponds to the wild type in the GT-1b; still, GT-1b strains are susceptible to NS5A-inhibitors. In this study, we show that GT-1b strains with R30Q often display other specific NS5A substitutions, particularly in positions 24 and 34. We demonstrate that in GT-1b secondary substitutions usually happen after initial R30Q development in the phylogeny, and that the chemical properties of the corresponding amino acids serve to restore the positive charge in this region, acting as compensatory mutations. These findings may have implications for RAVs treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Knops
- Institute of Virology, University of Cologne, 50935 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Saleta Sierra
- Institute of Virology, University of Cologne, 50935 Cologne, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF)-Cologne-Bonn Partner Site, 50935 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Prabhav Kalaghatgi
- Department of Computational Biology and Applied Algorithmics, Max Planck Institute for Informatics, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF)-Saarbrücken Partner Site, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | - Eva Heger
- Institute of Virology, University of Cologne, 50935 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Rolf Kaiser
- Institute of Virology, University of Cologne, 50935 Cologne, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF)-Cologne-Bonn Partner Site, 50935 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Olga V Kalinina
- Department of Computational Biology and Applied Algorithmics, Max Planck Institute for Informatics, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
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Venugopal V, Padmanabhan P, Raja R, Dixit NM. Modelling how responsiveness to interferon improves interferon-free treatment of hepatitis C virus infection. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1006335. [PMID: 30001324 PMCID: PMC6057683 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for hepatitis C treatment tend to fare better in individuals who are also likely to respond well to interferon-alpha (IFN), a surprising correlation given that DAAs target specific viral proteins whereas IFN triggers a generic antiviral immune response. Here, we posit a causal relationship between IFN-responsiveness and DAA treatment outcome. IFN-responsiveness restricts viral replication, which would prevent the growth of viral variants resistant to DAAs and improve treatment outcome. To test this hypothesis, we developed a multiscale mathematical model integrating IFN-responsiveness at the cellular level, viral kinetics and evolution leading to drug resistance at the individual level, and treatment outcome at the population level. Model predictions quantitatively captured data from over 50 clinical trials demonstrating poorer response to DAAs in previous non-responders to IFN than treatment-naïve individuals, presenting strong evidence supporting the hypothesis. Model predictions additionally described several unexplained clinical observations, viz., the percentages of infected individuals who 1) spontaneously clear HCV, 2) get chronically infected but respond to IFN-based therapy, and 3) fail IFN-based therapy but respond to DAA-based therapy, resulting in a comprehensive understanding of HCV infection and treatment. An implication of the causal relationship is that failure of DAA-based treatments may be averted by adding IFN, a strategy of potential use in settings with limited access to DAAs. A second, wider implication is that individuals with greater IFN-responsiveness would require shorter DAA-based treatment durations, presenting a basis and a promising population for response-guided therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishnu Venugopal
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Pranesh Padmanabhan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Rubesh Raja
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Narendra M. Dixit
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
- Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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7
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Abdel-Aziz AM, Ibrahim MA, El-Sheikh AA, Kamel MY, Zenhom NM, Abdel-Raheim S, Abdelhaleem H. Effect of Sofosbuvir Plus Daclatasvir in Hepatitis C Virus Genotype-4 Patients: Promising Effect on Liver Fibrosis. J Clin Exp Hepatol 2018; 8:15-22. [PMID: 29743792 PMCID: PMC5938328 DOI: 10.1016/j.jceh.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE The effect of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir in treatment of genotype 4 Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is not well documented. This study investigated the safety and efficacy of sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir with or without ribavirin in treatment of HCV genotype 4 patients. The impact of therapy on liver fibrosis as well as the role of IL18 polymorphism in therapeutic outcome was assessed. METHODS One hundred HCV genotype 4 patients were categorized into 2 groups. The group 1 comprised treatment naïve patients, with total serum bilirubin ≤ 1.2 mg/10-1 L, serum albumin ≥ 3.5 g/10-1 L, INR ≤ 1.2, and platelet count ≥ 150 × 109/L. This group was treated with sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir for 12 weeks. The group 2 included Peg-IFN-α-or sofosbuvir treatment experienced, or patients with at least 2 of the following findings: total serum bilirubin > 1.2 mg/10-1 L, serum albumin < 3.5 g/10-1 L, INR > 1.2, and platelet count < 150 × 109 L-1. Group 2 was treated with sofosbuvir-daclatasvir + ribavirin for 12 weeks, with the exception of sofosbuvir treatment experienced patients, who were treated with sofosbuvir/daclatasvir + ribavirin for 24 weeks. RESULTS Sustained Virological Response (SVR12) (undetectable viremia12 weeks post-treatment), was 93.3% in group 1 and 87.5% in group 2 (total = 91%). Such high efficacy was accompanied with tolerable adverse effects as well as with significant improvement in liver fibrosis. No significant association was observed between IL18 polymorphism (rs1946518) at position -607 and achievement of SVR12 in HCV patients after treatment. CONCLUSION Sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir, with or without ribavirin achieved high efficacy and safety in HCV genotype 4 patients. Their effects were accompanied with attenuation of liver fibrosis. Further wider-scale studies are needed to evaluate the actual role of IL18 polymorphisms in treatment response with sofosbuvir/daclatasvir.
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Key Words
- DAA, Direct Acting Anti-viral
- FIB 4, Fibrosis Score 4
- HCV
- HCV, Hepatitis C Virus
- IL-18 polymorphism
- IL-18, Interleukin 18
- INF, Interferon
- NS, Non-Structural
- PCR, Polymerase Chain Reaction
- RFLP, Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism
- RNA, Ribonucleic Acid
- SNPs, Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms
- SVR12, Sustained Virologic Response 12 Week Post Treatment
- daclatasvir
- sofosbuvir
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa M. Abdel-Aziz
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, 61511 Minia, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A. Ibrahim
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, 61511 Minia, Egypt,Address for correspondence: Mohamed Abdellah Ibrahim, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia 61511, Egypt. Tel.: +20 1023168222; fax: +20 862342813.
| | - Azza A. El-Sheikh
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, 61511 Minia, Egypt,Basic Health Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, 11671 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maha Y. Kamel
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, 61511 Minia, Egypt
| | - Nagwa M. Zenhom
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, 61511 Minia, Egypt
| | - Salam Abdel-Raheim
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, 61511 Minia, Egypt
| | - Hisham Abdelhaleem
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, 61511 Minia, Egypt
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Tamai H, Shingaki N, Mori Y, Moribata K, Kawashima A, Maeda Y, Niwa T, Deguchi H, Inoue I, Maekita T, Iguchi M, Kato J, Ichinose M. Low-Dose Pegylated Interferon α-2b Plus Ribavirin for Elderly and/or Cirrhotic Patients with Genotype 2 Hepatitis C Virus. Gut Liver 2017; 10:617-23. [PMID: 26601828 PMCID: PMC4933424 DOI: 10.5009/gnl15193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background/Aims This study aimed to predict sustained viral response (SVR) to low-dose pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin of elderly and/or cirrhotic patients with genotype 2 hepatitis C virus (HCV) using viral response within 2 weeks. Methods Low-dose PEG-IFN-α-2b plus ribavirin was administered to 50 elderly and/or cirrhotic patients with genotype 2 HCV for 24 weeks. The dynamics of HCV RNA and HCV core antigen levels within 2 weeks were measured. Results The patients’ median age was 66 years. There were 21 male and 29 female patients. The median baseline HCV RNA level was 5.7 log IU/mL. Rapid viral response was achieved in 17 patients (34%), SVR in 28 (56%), and two (4%) discontinued treatment. Univariate analysis of factors contributing to SVR showed significant differences for sex, baseline virus level, and response within 4 weeks. When 40 fmol/L was set as the cutoff value for the core antigen level at 1 week, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for predicting SVR were 93%, 75%, 84%, 88%, and 85%, respectively. Conclusions Low-dose PEG-IFN plus ribavirin was a safe and cost-effective treatment for elderly and/or cirrhotic patients with genotype 2 HCV, and the viral response within 2 weeks was a useful predictor of SVR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideyuki Tamai
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Naoki Shingaki
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Mori
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Kosaku Moribata
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Akira Kawashima
- Department of Internal Medicine, Naga Municipal Hospital, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Maeda
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Toru Niwa
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Hisanobu Deguchi
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Izumi Inoue
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Takao Maekita
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Mikitaka Iguchi
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Jun Kato
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Masao Ichinose
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
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Hernandez D, Yu F, Huang X, Kirov S, Pant S, McPhee F. Impact of Pre-existing NS5A-L31 or -Y93H Minor Variants on Response Rates in Patients Infected with HCV Genotype-1b Treated with Daclatasvir/Asunaprevir. Adv Ther 2016; 33:1169-79. [PMID: 27287851 DOI: 10.1007/s12325-016-0354-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The combination of daclatasvir (DCV, pan-genotypic NS5A inhibitor) plus asunaprevir (ASV; NS3 protease inhibitor) is approved in Japan, Korea and other countries for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype (GT)-1. A high (~90 to 100%) sustained virologic response (SVR) with DCV/ASV therapy has been achieved by excluding patients infected with HCV GT-1b with baseline NS5A resistance-associated variants (RAVs) at L31 or Y93H detected by direct sequencing (DS). We set out to determine whether patients with minor variants at NS5A-L31 or -Y93H, detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS), impacted SVR rates with DCV/ASV therapy. METHODS Baseline samples from 222 interferon (IFN)-ineligible/intolerant (N = 135) and prior non-responder (N = 87) patients infected with GT-1b who were treated with DCV/ASV for 24 weeks in the Phase 3 clinical study AI447026 were prepared for NGS (Ion-Torrent platform). The prevalence of baseline NS5A RAVs and their impact on SVR when observed at ≥1% by NGS in a patient's virus population were examined. NGS and DS (sensitivity ≥20%) data were compared. RESULTS The prevalence of baseline NS5A RAVs at L31 or Y93H was 29% (63/219) and 18% (39/214) by NGS and DS, respectively. SVR24 rates were comparable in patients without observed baseline L31 or Y93H polymorphisms whether assessed by NGS (96%; 148/154) or by the less sensitive DS platform (95%; 164/173). CONCLUSION Optimal SVR rates (≥95%) to DCV/ASV treatment were achieved using DS to exclude patients infected with GT-1b with NS5A RAVs at L31 or Y93H representing ≥20% of their virus population. Exclusion by NGS of patients with minor variants in NS5A (<20%) did not enhance SVR rates. These results suggest that the presence of minor variants in NS5A does not appear to impact the overall SVR rate in patients with GT-1b treated with DCV/ASV. FUNDING This study was sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01497834.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Hernandez
- Bristol-Myers Squibb, Research and Development, Wallingford, CT, USA
| | - Fei Yu
- Bristol-Myers Squibb, Research and Development, Wallingford, CT, USA
| | - Xin Huang
- Bristol-Myers Squibb, Research and Development, Hopewell, NJ, USA
| | - Stefan Kirov
- Bristol-Myers Squibb, Research and Development, Hopewell, NJ, USA
| | - Saumya Pant
- Bristol-Myers Squibb, Research and Development, Hopewell, NJ, USA
| | - Fiona McPhee
- Bristol-Myers Squibb, Research and Development, Wallingford, CT, USA.
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10
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Geno2pheno[HCV] - A Web-based Interpretation System to Support Hepatitis C Treatment Decisions in the Era of Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155869. [PMID: 27196673 PMCID: PMC4873220 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The face of hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy is changing dramatically. Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) specifically targeting HCV proteins have been developed and entered clinical practice in 2011. However, despite high sustained viral response (SVR) rates of more than 90%, a fraction of patients do not eliminate the virus and in these cases treatment failure has been associated with the selection of drug resistance mutations (RAMs). RAMs may be prevalent prior to the start of treatment, or can be selected under therapy, and furthermore they can persist after cessation of treatment. Additionally, certain DAAs have been approved only for distinct HCV genotypes and may even have subtype specificity. Thus, sequence analysis before start of therapy is instrumental for managing DAA-based treatment strategies. We have created the interpretation system geno2pheno[HCV] (g2p[HCV]) to analyse HCV sequence data with respect to viral subtype and to predict drug resistance. Extensive reviewing and weighting of literature related to HCV drug resistance was performed to create a comprehensive list of drug resistance rules for inhibitors of the HCV protease in non-structural protein 3 (NS3-protease: Boceprevir, Paritaprevir, Simeprevir, Asunaprevir, Grazoprevir and Telaprevir), the NS5A replicase factor (Daclatasvir, Ledipasvir, Elbasvir and Ombitasvir), and the NS5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (Dasabuvir and Sofosbuvir). Upon submission of up to eight sequences, g2p[HCV] aligns the input sequences, identifies the genomic region(s), predicts the HCV geno- and subtypes, and generates for each DAA a drug resistance prediction report. g2p[HCV] offers easy-to-use and fast subtype and resistance analysis of HCV sequences, is continuously updated and freely accessible under http://hcv.geno2pheno.org/index.php. The system was partially validated with respect to the NS3-protease inhibitors Boceprevir, Telaprevir and Simeprevir by using data generated with recombinant, phenotypic cell culture assays obtained from patients’ virus variants.
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High-resolution genetic profile of viral genomes: why it matters. Curr Opin Virol 2015; 14:62-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Revised: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Yoshimi S, Imamura M, Murakami E, Hiraga N, Tsuge M, Kawakami Y, Aikata H, Abe H, Hayes CN, Sasaki T, Ochi H, Chayama K. Long term persistence of NS5A inhibitor-resistant hepatitis C virus in patients who failed daclatasvir and asunaprevir therapy. J Med Virol 2015; 87:1913-20. [PMID: 25954851 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.24255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Although interferon-free antiviral treatment is expected to improve treatment of hepatitis C, it is unclear to what extent pre-existing drug-resistant amino acid substitutions influence response to therapy. The impact of pre-existing drug-resistant substitutions on virological response to daclatasvir and asunaprevir combination therapy was studied in genotype 1b hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. Thirty-one patients were treated with daclatasvir and asunaprevir for 24 weeks. Twenty-six patients achieved sustained virological response (SVR), three patients experienced viral breakthrough, and two patients relapsed. Direct sequencing analysis of HCV showed the existence of daclatasvir-resistant NS5A-L31M or -Y93H/F variants in nine out of 30 patients (30%) prior to treatment, while asunaprevir-resistant NS3-D168 mutations were not detected in any patient. All 21 patients with wild-type NS5A-L31 and -Y93 achieved SVR, whereas only four out of nine patients (44%) with L31M or Y93F/H substitutions achieved SVR (P = 0.001). Ultra-deep sequencing analysis showed that treatment failure was associated with the emergence of both NS5A-L31/Y93 and NS3-D168 variants. NS5A-L31/Y93 variants remained at high frequency through post-treatment weeks 103 through 170, while NS3-D168 variants were replaced by wild-type in all patients. In conclusion, pre-existence of NS5A inhibitor-resistant substitutions compromised the response to daclatasvir and asunaprevir combination therapy, and treatment failure was associated with the emergence of both NS5A-L31/Y93 and NS3-D168 variants. While asunaprevir-resistant variants that emerged during therapy returned to wild-type, daclatasvir-resistant variants tended to persist in the absence of the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Yoshimi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Science, Institute of Biomedical and Health Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Michio Imamura
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Science, Institute of Biomedical and Health Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Eisuke Murakami
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Science, Institute of Biomedical and Health Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Hiraga
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Science, Institute of Biomedical and Health Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Masataka Tsuge
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Science, Institute of Biomedical and Health Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yoshiiku Kawakami
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Science, Institute of Biomedical and Health Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Aikata
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Science, Institute of Biomedical and Health Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hiromi Abe
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Science, Institute of Biomedical and Health Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - C Nelson Hayes
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Science, Institute of Biomedical and Health Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Tamito Sasaki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Science, Institute of Biomedical and Health Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hidenori Ochi
- Laboratory for Digestive Diseases, Center for Genomic Medicine, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Chayama
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Science, Institute of Biomedical and Health Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.,Laboratory for Digestive Diseases, Center for Genomic Medicine, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Hiroshima, Japan
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De Clercq E. Development of antiviral drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C at an accelerating pace. Rev Med Virol 2015; 25:254-67. [DOI: 10.1002/rmv.1842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Revised: 05/04/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Erik De Clercq
- Rega Institute for Medical Research; KU Leuven; Leuven Belgium
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Dynamics of HCV genotype 4 resistance-associated variants during virologic escape with pIFN/RBV+daclatasvir: a case study using ultra deep pyrosequencing. J Clin Virol 2015; 66:38-43. [PMID: 25866334 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2015.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Revised: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Daclatasvir (DCV) is an approved NS5A inhibitor with potent anti-HCV activity and broad genotype coverage. DCV resistance-associated variants (RAVs) have been described for patients infected with genotype (GT) 1, but increased GT4 prevalence in European countries as a result of immigration has boosted interest in this genotype. OBJECTIVES Establishment of NS5A variability in treatment-naive patients with HCV genotype 4 infection and a case study of the dynamics of resistance-associated variants in a virologic failure receiving pIFN/RBV+DCV, as assessed by ultra-deep sequencing. STUDY DESIGN Five treatment-naïve GT4 patients (GT4a [n = 1], GT4d [n = 3], GT4o [n = 1]) were evaluated for inclusion in the COMMAND-4 study and treatment with pIFN/RBV±DCV. RESULTS Patient (Pt) 1 received pIFN/RBV; Pts2-4 received pIFN/RBV + DCV; Pt5 was a screening failure. Pt1 relapsed; Pt2 experienced breakthrough at Wk4; Pts3 and 4 achieved a sustained virologic response. No substitutions associated with DCV-resistance were detected at baseline. In terms of viremic time points for Pts1 and 2, the extent of NS5A diversity pre-treatment was not significantly related to viral load (r = -0568; p = 0.035). In Pt2, multiple substitutions associated with DCV-resistance were observed after breakthrough at NS5A amino acid positions 28, 31 and 93. These substitutions were frequently observed on the same haplotype (L28S + M31I = 55.52, 82.50, and 99.36% at Wk4, 8 and 9; L28S + M31I + Y93H = 11.77, 5.01 and <0.6% at Wk4, 8 and 9). CONCLUSIONS This is the first report to describe DCV-resistance in patients infected with GT4d, supporting a possible role for a recently described RAV (L28S), and presenting the dynamics of HCV quasispecies during therapy failure, with indications of changes of diversity and association of mutations.
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Chayama K, Mitsui F, Hayes CN. Optimizing triple therapy and IFN/RBV-free regimens for hepatitis C virus infection. Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2015; 9:21-30. [PMID: 25220206 DOI: 10.1586/17474124.2015.960394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection has substantially improved following the advent of direct acting antiviral (DAA) agents. Although the first generation protease inhibitors telaprevir and boceprevir improved sustained viral response (SVR) rates, adverse events remain severe and immature termination of the therapy is frequent; however, intensive dose modification has improved completion and SVR rates. Interferon-free DAA combination therapies, such as asunaprevir and daclatasvir dual therapy are under development and promise higher SVR rates with fewer adverse events. Resistance monitoring and modification of DAA therapy based on pre-existing or de novo resistance variants should be considered. Future therapies are expected to have pan-genotypic activity with shorter duration and improved tolerability, even among cirrhotic and liver transplant patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuaki Chayama
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
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Peres-da-Silva A, de Almeida AJ, Lampe E. NS5A inhibitor resistance-associated polymorphisms in Brazilian treatment-naive patients infected with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus. J Antimicrob Chemother 2014; 70:726-30. [PMID: 25414201 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dku462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Several promising NS5A protein inhibitors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment, showing good antiviral activity, are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. However, viral breakthroughs associated with resistant variants have been observed, especially in patients infected with HCV-1a. We aimed to evaluate the occurrence of potential resistance mutations in the NS5A gene of HCV among Brazilian treatment-naive patients. METHODS Direct sequencing of the HCV NS5A gene was performed in serum samples of 106 treatment-naive patients infected with subtypes 1a (n = 52) and 1b (n = 54). The sequence variability, signature patterns in amino acid sequences and variants associated with NS5A inhibitors were evaluated. RESULTS The M28T and Y93H mutations were found in the subtype 1a sequences of two (3.85%) patients, and seven (13.46%) other patients presented the secondary mutation(s) H58P, E62D or H58P-E62D. For subtype 1b, the Y93H mutation was found in two (3.70%) patients and the substitutions R30Q, L31M, P58S and I280V were found in eight (14.81%) patients. Two distinct HCV-1a clades were distinguished by a phylogenetic analysis performed along with representative HCV-1a sequences and sequences containing HCV NS5A inhibitor resistance mutations retrieved from the Los Alamos database. All Brazilian sequences formed a large group of related sequences inside clade 1. It is noteworthy that 65.85% of sequences with substitution at sites 28, 30, 31 and 93 were found in clade 1. CONCLUSION Brazilian HCV-1a sequences presented a peculiar pattern of amino acid composition, mutations and frequencies, which is distinct from other previously characterized sequences from other locations. The association of these findings with the outcome of treatment with NS5A inhibitors awaits further analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan Peres-da-Silva
- Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Adilson José de Almeida
- Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Hospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle/UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Elisabeth Lampe
- Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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