Hepatitis C virus subtyping by a core-envelope 1-based reverse transcriptase PCR assay with sequencing and its use in determining subtype distribution among Danish patients

Epidemiology, risk factors, and pathogenesis associated with a superbug: A comprehensive literature review on hepatitis C virus infection

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.

Adaptive mutations promote hepatitis C virus assembly by accelerating core translocation to the endoplasmic reticulum

The envelopment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is believed to occur primarily in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated membrane, and the translocation of viral Core protein from lipid droplets (LDs) to the ER is essential for the envelopment of viral particles. However, the factors involved are not completely understood. Herein, we identified eight adaptive mutations that enhanced virus spread and infectivity of genotype 1a clone TNcc in hepatoma Huh7 cells through long-term culture adaptation and reverse genetic study. Of eight mutations, I853V in NS2 and C2865F in NS5B were found to be minimal mutation sets that enabled an increase in virus production without apparently affecting RNA replication, thus suggesting its roles in the post-replication stage of the HCV life cycle. Using a protease K protection and confocal microscopy analysis, we demonstrated that C2865F and the combination of I853V/C2865F enhanced virus envelopment by facilitating Core translocation from the LDs to the ER. Buoyant density analysis revealed that I853V/C2865F contributed to the release of virion with a density of ∼1.10 g/ml. Moreover, we demonstrated that NS5B directly interacted with NS2 at the protease domain and that mutations I853V, C2865F, and I853V/C2865F enhanced the interaction. In addition, C2865F also enhanced the interaction between NS5B and Core. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that adaptive mutations in NS2 and NS5B promoted HCV envelopment by accelerating Core translocation from the LDs to the ER and reinforced the interaction between NS2 and NS5B. The findings facilitate our understanding of the assembly of HCV morphogenesis.

Direct acting antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis C in Denmark: factors associated with and barriers to treatment initiation

OBJECTIVES

We describe factors associated with and barriers to initiation of Direct Acting Antiviral (DAA) treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C, who fulfill national fibrosis treatment guidelines in Denmark.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this nationwide cohort study, we included patients with chronic hepatitis C from The Danish Database for Hepatitis B and C (DANHEP) who fulfilled fibrosis treatment criteria. Factors associated with treatment initiation and treatment failure were determined by logistic regression analyses. Medical records were reviewed from patients who fulfilled fibrosis treatment criteria, but did not initiate DAA treatment to determine the cause.

RESULTS

In 344 (49%) of 700 patients, who fulfilled treatment criteria, factors associated with DAA treatment initiation were transmission by other routes than injecting drug use odds ratio (OR) 2.13 (CI: 1.38-3.28), previous treatment failure OR 2.58 (CI: 1.84-3.61) and ALT above upper limit of normal OR 1.60 (CI: 1.18-2.17). The most frequent reasons for not starting treatment among 356 (51%) patients were non-adherence to medical appointments (n = 107/30%) and ongoing substance use (n = 61/17%). Treatment failure with viral relapse occurred in 19 (5.5%) patients, who were more likely to have failed previous treatment OR 4.53 (CI: 1.59-12.91).

CONCLUSIONS

In this nationwide cohort study, we found non-adherence to medical appointments and active substance use to be major obstacles for DAA treatment initiation. Our findings highlight the need for interventions that can overcome these barriers and increase the number of patients who can initiate and benefit from curative DAA treatment.

Outcome and adverse events in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with direct-acting antivirals: a clinical randomized study

OBJECTIVE

New potent direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens against hepatitis C virus have been approved in recent years. However, information about the rate of adverse events (AEs) across different DAA regimens is limited. We aimed to evaluate differences in AEs and treatment efficacy in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), genotype (GT) 1 or 3, randomized to two different treatment arms, correspondingly.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We randomly assigned 96 patients in a 1 : 1 ratio, to treatment for 12 weeks with either paritaprevir/ombitasvir/ritonavir/dasabuvir/ribavirin (RBV) or ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (SOF)/RBV if infected with GT1 (72 patients) or to daclatasvir/SOF/RBV for 12 weeks or SOF/RBV for 24 weeks, if infected with GT3 (24 patients). Data on AEs were collected throughout the entire study period.

RESULTS

A total of 70 (97%) patients with CHC with GT1 and 20 (83%) patients with GT3 achieved cure. The GT3 treatment arm was prematurely terminated, owing to change in national treatment guidelines. Thus, only AEs for GT1 patients are described. AEs occurred in 70 (97%) GT1 patients, and most common AEs were anemia (n=56/78%), fatigue (n=53/74%), and headache (n=33/46%). No difference was observed in relation to treatment group (P=1.0), anemia (P=1.0), or liver cirrhosis (P=0.53). In seven (11%) patients, AEs assessed by the investigator to be possibly related to the DAA regimen were still present 12 weeks after treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

We found no difference in AEs possibly related to the DAA regimen in patients with CHC, but surprisingly, AEs possibly related to the DAA regimen persisted in a significant number of patients after treatment. This finding can be of importance for clinicians in relation to patient information concerning AEs possibly related to DAA treatment.

A near full-length open reading frame next generation sequencing assay for genotyping and identification of resistance-associated variants in hepatitis C virus

BACKGROUND

The current treatment options for hepatitis C virus (HCV), based on direct acting antivirals (DAA), are dependent on virus genotype and previous treatment experience. Treatment failures have been associated with detection of resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) in the DAA targets of HCV, the NS3, NS5A and NS5 B proteins.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a next generation sequencing based method that provides genotype and detection of HCV NS3, NS5A, and NS5 B RASs without prior knowledge of sample genotype.

STUDY DESIGN

In total, 101 residual plasma samples from patients with HCV covering 10 different viral subtypes across 4 genotypes with viral loads of 3.84-7.61 Log IU/mL were included. All samples were de-identified and consequently prior treatment status for patients was unknown. Almost full open reading frame amplicons (∼ 9 kb) were generated using RT-PCR with a single primer set. The resulting amplicons were sequenced with high throughput sequencing and analysed using an in-house developed script for detecting RASs.

RESULTS

The method successfully amplified and sequenced 94% (95/101) of samples with an average coverage of 14,035; four of six failed samples were genotype 4a. Samples analysed twice yielded reproducible nucleotide frequencies across all sites. RASs were detected in 21/95 (22%) samples at a 15% threshold. The method identified one patient infected with two genotype 2b variants, and the presence of subgenomic deletion variants in 8 (8.4%) of 95 successfully sequenced samples.

CONCLUSIONS

The presented method may provide identification of HCV genotype, RASs detection, and detect multiple HCV infection without prior knowledge of sample genotype.

Sofosbuvir based treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 3 infections-A Scandinavian real-life study

Background and aims

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3 infection with advanced liver disease has emerged as the most challenging to treat. We retrospectively assessed the treatment outcome of sofosbuvir (SOF) based regimes for treatment of HCV genotype 3 infections in a real life setting in Scandinavia.

Methods

Consecutive patients with chronic HCV genotype 3 infection were enrolled at 16 treatment centers in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. Patients who had received a SOF containing regimen were included. The fibrosis stage was evaluated by liver biopsy or transient liver elastography. The following treatments were given according availability and local guidelines: 1) SOF + ribavirin (RBV) for 24 weeks, 2) SOF + daclatasvir (DCV) +/-RBV for 12–24 weeks, 3) SOF + pegylated interferon alpha (peg-IFN-α) + RBV for 12 weeks or 4) SOF/ledipasvir (LDV) + RBV for 12–16 weeks. The primary endpoint was sustained virological response (SVR) assessed at week 12 (SVR12) after end of treatment.

Results

We included 316 patients with a mean age of 55 years (range 24–79), 70% men, 49% treatment experienced, 58% with compensated cirrhosis and 12% with decompensated cirrhosis.In the modified intention to treat (mITT) population SVR12 was achieved in 284/311 (91%) patients. Among 26 treatment failures, five had non-response, 3 breakthrough and 18 relapse. Five patients were not included in the mITT population. Three patients died from reasons unrelated to treatment and two were lost to follow-up. The SVR12 rate was similar for all treatment regimens, but lower in men (p = 0.042), and in patients with decompensated liver disease (p = 0.004).

Conclusion

We found that sofosbuvir based treatment in a real-life setting could offer SVR rates exceeding 90% in patients with HCV genotype 3 infection and advanced liver disease.

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

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.

Neutralizing antibodies in patients with chronic hepatitis C and correlation to liver cirrhosis and estimated duration of infection

Although chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection accounts for 30% of individuals with cirrhotic livers worldwide, factors influencing disease progression are far from elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine whether the level of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) correlated with the development of cirrhosis in patients with chronic HCV infection, genotype 1, when adjusting for estimated duration of infection. Thirty-nine patients with chronic hepatitis C, with either no/mild fibrosis (n = 23) or cirrhosis (n = 16), were enrolled from two university hospitals in Denmark. Duration of HCV infection was estimated based on patient information and/or anti-HCV seroconversion. Serial dilutions of purified serum/plasma derived IgGs were tested for their ability to neutralize six HCV-genotype 1 cell-culture strains. The results were expressed as the lowest IgG concentration yielding ≥50% neutralization (NAb50 -titer). A significant difference in HCV NAb50 -titers among the six genotype 1a/1b recombinants was found. In patients with cirrhosis, a tendency for higher level of NAbs was observed compared to patients with no/mild fibrosis, although not statistical significant. Stratifying the two groups revealed that being infected >25 years resulted in higher levels of NAbs in both. Furthermore, by correlating estimated duration of HCV infection to NAb50 -titers a significant result was found against two recombinants. The NAb titer does not differ significantly between HCV patients with either no/mild fibrosis or cirrhosis but show a tendency for increasing level with increased duration of infection. NAbs might contribute as a biological marker to increase the accuracy of patient based information on duration of HCV infection. J. Med. Virol. 88:1791-1803, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Immunoglobulin with High-Titer In Vitro Cross-Neutralizing Hepatitis C Virus Antibodies Passively Protects Chimpanzees from Homologous, but Not Heterologous, Challenge

The importance of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in protection against hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains controversial. We infused a chimpanzee with H06 immunoglobulin from a genotype 1a HCV-infected patient and challenged with genotype strains efficiently neutralized by H06 in vitro. Genotype 1a NAbs afforded no protection against genotype 4a or 5a. Protection against homologous 1a lasted 18 weeks, but infection emerged when NAb titers waned. However, 6a infection was prevented. The differential in vivo neutralization patterns have implications for HCV vaccine development.

Nationwide experience of treatment with protease inhibitors in chronic hepatitis C patients in Denmark: identification of viral resistance mutations

Background and Aims

The first standard of care in treatment of chronic HCV genotype 1 infection involving directly acting antivirals was protease inhibitors telaprevir or boceprevir combined with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin (triple therapy). Phase III studies include highly selected patients. Thus, treatment response and development of viral resistance during triple therapy in a routine clinical setting needs to be determined. The aims of this study were to investigate treatment outcome and identify sequence variations after triple therapy in patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection in a routine clinical setting.

Methods

80 patients, who initiated and completed triple therapy in Denmark between May 2011 and November 2012, were included. Demographic data and treatment response were obtained from the Danish Database for Hepatitis B and C. Direct sequencing and clonal analysis of the RT-PCR amplified NS3 protease were performed in patients without cure following triple therapy.

Results

38 (47%) of the patients achieved cure, 15 (19%) discontinued treatment due to adverse events and remained infected, and 27 (34%) experienced relapse or treatment failure of whom 15 of 21 analyzed patients had well-described protease inhibitor resistance variants detected. Most frequently detected protease variants were V36M and/or R155K, and V36M, in patients with genotype 1a and 1b infection, respectively.

Conclusions

The cure rate after triple therapy in a routine clinical setting was 47%, which is substantially lower than in clinical trials. Resistance variants towards protease inhibitors were seen in 71% of patients failing therapy indicating that resistance could have an important role in treatment response.

Hepatitis C virus infection in the human immunodeficiency virus infected patient

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) share the same transmission routes; therefore, coinfection is frequent. An estimated 5-10 million individuals alone in the western world are infected with both viruses. The majority of people acquire HCV by injection drug use and, to a lesser extent, through blood transfusion and blood products. Recently, there has been an increase in HCV infections among men who have sex with men. In the context of effective antiretroviral treatment, liver-related deaths are now more common than Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome-related deaths among HIV-HCV coinfected individuals. Morbidity and mortality rates from chronic HCV infection will increase because the infection incidence peaked in the mid-1980s and because liver disease progresses slowly and is clinically silent to cirrhosis and end-stage-liver disease over a 15-20 year time period for 15%-20% of chronically infected individuals. HCV treatment has rapidly changed with the development of new direct-acting antiviral agents; therefore, cure rates have greatly improved because the new treatment regimens target different parts of the HCV life cycle. In this review, we focus on the epidemiology, diagnosis and the natural course of HCV as well as current and future strategies for HCV therapy in the context of HIV-HCV coinfection in the western world.

Transfusion-associated hepatitis before the screening of blood for hepatitis risk factors

BACKGROUND

The true incidence of transfusion-associated hepatitis (TAH) before blood screening is unknown. Our aims were to reevaluate blood recipients receiving unscreened blood and analyze hepatitis viruses circulating more than 45 years ago.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Cryopreserved serum samples from 66 patients undergoing open heart surgery in the 1960s were reevaluated with modern diagnostic tests to determine the incidence of TAH and its virologic causes.

RESULTS

In this heavily transfused population receiving a mean of 20 units per patient of predominantly paid-donor blood, 30 of 66 (45%) developed biochemical evidence of hepatitis; of these, 20 (67%) were infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) alone, four (13%) with hepatitis B virus (HBV) alone, and six (20%) with both viruses. Among the 36 patients who did not develop hepatitis, four (11%) were newly infected with HCV alone, nine (25%) with HBV alone, and one (3%) with both viruses. Overall, 100% of patients with hepatitis and 39% of those without hepatitis were infected with HBV and/or HCV; one patient was also infected with hepatitis E virus. The donor carrier rate for HBV and/or HCV was estimated to be more than 6%; contemporaneously prepared pooled normal human plasma was also contaminated with multiple hepatitis viruses.

CONCLUSION

TAH virus infections were a larger problem than perceived 50 years ago and HCV was the predominant agent transmitted. All hepatitis cases could be attributed to HCV and/or HBV and hence there was no evidence to suggest that an additional hepatitis agent existed undetected in the blood supply.

Origin of hepatitis C virus genotype 3 in Africa as estimated through an evolutionary analysis of the full-length genomes of nine subtypes, including the newly sequenced 3d and 3e

We characterized the full-length genomes of nine hepatitis C virus genotype 3 (HCV-3) isolates: QC7, QC8, QC9, QC10, QC34, QC88, NE145, NE274 and 811. To the best of our knowledge, NE274 and NE145 were the first full-length genomes for confirming the provisionally assigned subtypes 3d and 3e, respectively, whereas 811 represented the first HCV-3 isolate that had its extreme 3' UTR terminus sequenced. Based on these full-length genomes, together with 42 references representing eight assigned subtypes and an unclassified variant of HCV-3, and 10 sequences of six other genotypes, a timescaled phylogenetic tree was reconstructed after an evolutionary analysis using a coalescent Bayesian procedure. The results indicated that subtypes 3a, 3d and 3e formed a subset with a common ancestor dated to ~202.89 [95% highest posterior density (HPD): 160.11, 264.6] years ago. The analysis of all of the HCV-3 sequences as a single lineage resulted in the dating of the divergence time to ~457.81 (95% HPD: 350.62, 587.53) years ago, whereas the common ancestor of all of the seven HCV genotypes dated to ~780.86 (95% HPD: 592.15, 1021.34) years ago. As subtype 3h and the unclassified variant were relatives, and represented the oldest HCV-3 lineages with origins in Africa and the Middle East, these findings may indicate the ancestral origin of HCV-3 in Africa. We speculate that the ancestral HCV-3 strains may have been brought to South Asia from Africa by land and/or across the sea to result in its indigenous circulation in that region. The spread was estimated to have occurred in the era after Vasco da Gama had completed his expeditions by sailing along the eastern coast of Africa to India. However, before this era, Arabians had practised slave trading from Africa to the Middle East and South Asia for centuries, which may have mediated the earliest spread of HCV-3.

Hepatitis C virus reinfection following treatment among people who use drugs

Most new cases of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in the developed world are associated with injection drug use. However, treatment for people who inject drugs (PWID) is controversial, as successful treatment risks being followed by new infection. Reinfection after sustained virologic response has been reported, but is the risk so great that treatment should be withheld from this large HCV population? Preliminary evidence suggests that the reinfection incidence is low, but studies to date have been limited by small sample size and few cases of reinfection. In this review, we assess data from studies among PWID of HCV reinfection following treatment to give a reasonable estimate on how frequently reinfection appears and try to characterize those most at risk, The observation that spontaneous clearance of HCV reinfection following treatment occurs is suggestive of a partial protective immunity against persistent infection.

Fast, reliable and low cost user-developed protocol for detection, quantification and genotyping of hepatitis C virus

Early detection and genotyping of HCV infection is important for disease management. It is important to develop fast and cost-effective semi-automated techniques allowing an accurate and reproducible detection, quantification and genotyping of HCV. The proposed protocol includes a real-time RT-PCR assay for HCV detection/quantification and a type-specific one-tube RT-PCR assay for genotyping. Both assays detect genotypes 1-4 as intended. The limit of detection was 112IU/ml for the real-time assay and 600±278IU/ml (mean±SD) for the genotyping assay. Concordance between the real-time assay and AMPLICOR HCV v2.0 test was 100%. The real-time assay has wide linear dynamic range of detection and quantification and excellent reproducibility with 2% and 0.75% coefficients of variations, for inter- and intra-assays, respectively. The observed correlation with AMPLICOR HCV Monitor v2.0 kit was linear with the correlation coefficient of 0.988. The diagnostic specificity and sensitivity of the genotyping assay, tested on 102 samples, was 100% and 95%, respectively. The overall procedure of HCV diagnosis is completed within 6h in a closed system with minor contamination risk. In addition to being fast and cost-effective, this approach is reproducible and avoids post-PCR enzymatic and hybridization steps while detecting and genotyping HCV with high clinical sensitivity.

Neutralization resistance of hepatitis C virus can be overcome by recombinant human monoclonal antibodies

Immunotherapy and vaccine development for hepatitis C virus (HCV) will depend on broadly reactive neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). However, studies in infectious strain JFH1-based culture systems expressing patient-derived Core-NS2 proteins have suggested neutralization resistance for specific HCV strains, in particular, of genotype 2. To further examine this phenomenon, we developed a panel of HCV genotype 2 recombinants for testing of sensitivity to neutralization by chronic-phase patient sera and lead human monoclonal antibodies (HMAbs). The novel Core-NS2 recombinants, with patient-derived genotype 2a (strain T9), 2b (strains DH8 and DH10), and 2c (strain S83) consensus sequences, were viable in Huh7.5 hepatoma cells without requirement for adaptive mutations, reaching HCV infectivity titers of 3.9-4.5 log10 focus-forming units per milliliter. In in vitro neutralization assays, we demonstrated that the novel genotype 2 viruses as well as prototype strains J6/JFH1(2a) and J8/JFH1(2b), all with authentic envelope proteins, were resistant to neutralization by genotype 2a, 2b, 2c, 2j, 2i, and 2q patient sera. However, these patient sera had high titers of HCV-specific NAbs, because they efficiently reduced the infectivity of J6(2a) and J8(2b) with deleted hypervariable region 1. The genotype 2a, 2b, and 2c viruses, found resistant to polyclonal patient sera neutralization, were efficiently neutralized by two lead HMAbs (AR4A and HC84.26).

CONCLUSION

Using novel 2a, 2b, and 2c cell-culture systems, expressing authentic envelope proteins, we demonstrated resistance of HCV to patient-derived polyclonal high-titer NAbs. However, the same genotype 2 culture viruses were all sensitive to HMAbs recognizing conformational epitopes, indicating that neutralization resistance of HCV can be overcome by applying recombinant antibodies. These findings have important implications for HCV immunotherapy and vaccine development.

Characterization of treatment-naive HIV/HBV co-infected patients attending ART clinic of a tertiary healthcare centre in eastern India

OBJECTIVE

The study was designed to assess the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection scenario among the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients attending a tertiary healthcare unit in eastern India. Additionally, clinical and virological characterization of these viruses, prior to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation was also done for better understanding of the disease profile.

METHODS

Pool of ART-naive HIV/HBV co-infected and HIV mono-infected patients, participating in two different studies, were included in this study. HBV DNA was detected by nested-PCR amplification followed by HBV genotype determination and HBV reverse transcriptase (RT) region amplification and direct sequencing for detecting drug resistance.

RESULTS

The prevalence of HBsAg (11.3%) was higher compared to anti-HCV (1.9%) among the HIV infected ART-naive patients. Moreover, majority of the HBeAg positive HIV/HBV co-infected patients (87.7%) had HBV DNA ≥20,000 IU/ml with median HBV DNA significantly higher than that of HBeAg negative subjects (5.7 log10 IU/ml vs. 4.2 log10 IU/ml; p<0.0001). Multivariate analysis also showed that HBeAg-positive status was independently associated with higher HBV DNA level (p = <0.001). Notably, 60.9% of the HBeAg negative co-infected subjects had HBV DNA ≥2,000 IU/ml of which 37.0% had HBV DNA ≥20,000 IU/ml. Genotype HBV/D (68.2%) was the predominant genotype followed by HBV/A (24.3%) and HBV/C (7.5%). Anti-HBV drug resistant mutations were detected in two (3.8%) of the ART-naive patients.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of HIV/HBV co-infection was relatively higher in our study subjects. HBeAg testing might provide clue for early treatment initiation. Furthermore, HBeAg negative patients are also associated with high HBV DNA levels and therefore require appropriate medical attention. Pre-treatment screening for anti-HBV drug resistant mutations is not necessary before ART initiation.

Neutralizing antibodies in patients with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1, against a panel of genotype 1 culture viruses: lack of correlation to treatment outcome

The correlation of neutralizing antibodies to treatment outcome in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has not been established. The aim of this study was to determine whether neutralizing antibodies could be used as an outcome predictor in patients with chronic HCV, genotype 1, infection treated with pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin. Thirty-nine patients with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1a or 1b, with either sustained virologic response (n = 23) or non-sustained virologic response (n = 16) were enrolled. Samples taken prior to treatment were tested for their ability to neutralize 6 different HCV genotype 1 cell culture recombinants (1a: H77/JFH1, TN/JFH1, DH6/JFH1; 1b: J4/JFH1, DH1/JFH1, DH5/JFH1). The results were expressed as the highest dilution yielding 50% neutralization (NAb50-titer). We observed no genotype or subtype specific differences in NAb50-titers between patients with chronic HCV infection with and without sustained virologic response when tested against any of the included culture viruses. However, NAb50-titers varied significantly with a mean reciprocal NAb50-titer of 800 (range: 100-6400) against DH6/JFH1 compared to a mean NAb50-titer of 50 (range: <50-400) against all other included isolates. Subsequent studies demonstrated that the efficient neutralization of DH6/JFH1 could be linked to engineered adaptive mutations in the envelope-2 protein. In analysis of envelope 1 and 2 sequences of HCV, recovered from a subset of patients, we observed no apparent link between relatedness of patient sequences with culture viruses used and the corresponding neutralization results. In conclusion, pre-treatment levels of neutralizing antibodies against HCV genotype 1 isolates could not predict treatment outcome in patients with chronic HCV infection. High neutralization susceptibility of DH6/JFH1 could be correlated with adaptive envelope mutations previously highlighted as important for neutralization. Our study emphasizes the importance of using multiple culture viruses for neutralization studies and contributes to the current knowledge about neutralizing epitopes, important for future therapeutic- and vaccine-studies.

Full-length genome sequences of five hepatitis C virus isolates representing subtypes 3g, 3h, 3i and 3k, and a unique genotype 3 variant

We characterized the full-length genomes of five distinct hepatitis C virus (HCV)-3 isolates. These represent the first complete genomes for subtypes 3g and 3h, the second such genomes for 3k and 3i, and of one novel variant presently not assigned to a subtype. Each genome was determined from 18-25 overlapping fragments. They had lengths of 9579-9660 nt and each contained a single ORF encoding 3020-3025 aa. They were isolated from five patients residing in Canada; four were of Asian origin and one was of Somali origin. Phylogenetic analysis using 64 partial NS5B sequences differentiated 10 assigned subtypes, 3a-3i and 3k, and two additional lineages within genotype 3. From the data of this study, HCV-3 full-length sequences are now available for six of the assigned subtypes and one unassigned. Our findings should add insights to HCV evolutionary studies and clinical applications.

Highly efficient full-length hepatitis C virus genotype 1 (strain TN) infectious culture system

Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important cause of end stage liver disease worldwide. In the United States, most HCV-related disease is associated with genotype 1 infection, which remains difficult to treat. Drug and vaccine development was hampered by inability to culture patient isolates representing HCV genotypes 1-7 and subtypes; only a recombinant 2a genome (strain JFH1) spontaneously replicated in vitro. Recently, we identified three mutations F1464L/A1672S/D2979G (LSG) in the nonstructural (NS) proteins, essential for development of full-length HCV 2a (J6) and 2b (J8) culture systems in Huh7.5 cells. Here, we developed a highly efficient genotype 1a (strain TN) full-length culture system. We initially found that the LSG substitutions conferred viability to an intergenotypic recombinant composed of TN 5' untranslated region (5'UTR)-NS5A and JFH1 NS5B-3'UTR; recovered viruses acquired two adaptive mutations located in NS3 and NS4B. Introduction of these changes into a replication-deficient TN full-length genome, harboring LSG, permitted efficient HCV production. Additional identified NS4B and NS5B mutations fully adapted the TN full-length virus. Thus, a TN genome with 8 changes (designated TN cell-culture derived, TNcc) replicated efficiently and released infectious particles of ∼5 log(10) focus-forming units per mL; passaged TNcc did not require additional changes. IFN-α and directly acting antivirals targeting the HCV protease, NS5A, and NS5B, each inhibited full-length TN infection dose-dependently. Given the unique importance of genotype 1 for pathogenesis, this infectious 1a culture system represents an important advance in HCV research. The approach used and the mutations identified might permit culture development for other HCV isolates, thus facilitating vaccine development and personalized treatment.

Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis C virus among different groups of people in the province of Fujian, China

Genotyping of hepatitis C virus (HCV) can provide valuable information for prognosis and treatment duration prediction. To explore the genetic diversity of HCV in Fujian Province, China, 112, 104 and 48 anti-HCV-positive serum samples were collected from volunteer blood donors, IDUs and patients, respectively, from Jan 2008 to Dec 2008 and were genotyped through sequence analysis, followed by phylogenetic analysis in the C/E1 and NS5B regions. Genotypes could be determined for 85.61 and 84.85 % of samples in the C/E1 and NS5B region, respectively. 6a was the most prevalent subtype, which accounted for 42.04 and 43.75 % in the C/E1 and NS5B region, respectively. Mixed infection and potential recombination were detected in this study. Kappa tests indicated that similar results were obtained by two genotyping methods targeting the C/E1 and NS5B regions. The differences in the main prevalent subtype between the three target groups suggest diversity of HCV prevalence in different populations.

Comparative performance evaluation of hepatitis C virus genotyping based on the 5' untranslated region versus partial sequencing of the NS5B region of brazilian patients with chronic hepatitis C

Background

Genotyping of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has become an essential tool for prognosis and prediction of treatment duration. The aim of this study was to compare two HCV genotyping methods: reverse hybridization line probe assay (LiPA v.1) and partial sequencing of the NS5B region.

Methods

Plasma of 171 patients with chronic hepatitis C were screened using both a commercial method (LiPA HCV Versant, Siemens, Tarrytown, NY, USA) and different primers targeting the NS5B region for PCR amplification and sequencing analysis.

Results

Comparison of the HCV genotyping methods showed no difference in the classification at the genotype level. However, a total of 82/171 samples (47.9%) including misclassification, non-subtypable, discrepant and inconclusive results were not classified by LiPA at the subtype level but could be discriminated by NS5B sequencing. Of these samples, 34 samples of genotype 1a and 6 samples of genotype 1b were classified at the subtype level using sequencing of NS5B.

Conclusions

Sequence analysis of NS5B for genotyping HCV provides precise genotype and subtype identification and an accurate epidemiological representation of circulating viral strains.

Effectiveness of treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin in an unselected population of patients with chronic hepatitis C: a Danish nationwide cohort study

Background

The effect of peginterferon and ribavirin treatment on chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been established in several controlled clinical studies. However, the effectiveness of treatment and predictors of treatment success in routine clinical practice remains to be established. Our aim was to estimate the effectiveness of peginterferon and ribavirin treatment in unselected HCV patients handled in routine clinical practice. The endpoint was sustained virological response (SVR), determined by the absence of HCV RNA 24 weeks after the end of treatment.

Methods

We determined the proportion of SVR in a nationwide, population-based cohort of 432 patients with chronic HCV infection who were starting treatment, and analyzed the impact of known covariates on SVR by using a logistic regression analysis.

Results

The majority of treated patients had genotype 1 (133 patients) and genotype 2/3 (285 patients) infections, with 44% and 72%, respectively, obtaining SVR. Other than genotype, the predictors of SVR were age ≤ 45 years at the start of treatment, completion of unmodified treatment, the absence of cirrhosis and non-European origin.

Conclusions

The effectiveness of peginterferon and ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C in a routine clinical practice is comparable to that observed in controlled clinical trials, with a higher SVR rate in genotype 2 and 3 patients compared to genotype 1 patients. Our data further indicate that age at start of treatment is a strong predictor of SVR irrespective of HCV genotype, with patients 45 years or younger having a higher SVR rate.

Molecular and epidemiological profiles of hepatitis C virus genotype 4 in Denmark

The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 4 has increased throughout Europe. This is an epidemiological study of patients infected chronically with HCV genotype 4 in Denmark. The HCV strains analyzed originated from patient samples collected between 1999 and 2007 as part of the national Danish hepatitis B and C network, DANHEP. Sequence analyses were based on the envelope 1 region of HCV. Results from a total of 72 patients indicated a high degree of genetic heterogeneity. Fifty-six patients (78%) were infected with one of the three dominating subtypes: 4d, 4a, or 4r. The remaining 16 patients (22%) were infected with subtypes 4h, 4k, 4l, 4n, 4o, or 4Unclassified. Three epidemiological profiles were identified: (1) patients infected with HCV by intravenous drug use were infected solely with subtype 4d. They were all of European origin, and 15 of the 16 patients were ethnic Danes. No single transmission event could be confirmed, but the pairwise nucleotide identity within the patients of Danish origin was relatively high (∼95%), suggesting a recent introduction into Denmark. (2) The 21 patients infected with subtype 4a all came from Northern Africa, Egypt, Pakistan, or the Middle East. (3) Patients from Southern Africa dominated among patients infected with subtype 4r (10 of 12 patients). This study demonstrates that HCV genotype 4d has been introduced in and spread among Danish intravenous drug users. The remaining subtypes show restricted distribution, infecting almost exclusively patients from geographical areas with a relatively high prevalence of HCV genotype 4 infections.

Challenge pools of hepatitis C virus genotypes 1-6 prototype strains: replication fitness and pathogenicity in chimpanzees and human liver-chimeric mouse models

Chimpanzees represent the only animal model for studies of the natural history of hepatitis C virus (HCV). To generate virus stocks of important HCV variants, we infected chimpanzees with HCV strains of genotypes 1-6 and determined the infectivity titer of acute-phase plasma pools in additional animals. The courses of first- and second-passage infections were similar, with early appearance of viremia, HCV RNA titers of >10(4.7) IU/mL, and development of acute hepatitis; the chronicity rate was 56%. The challenge pools had titers of 10(3)-10(5) chimpanzee infectious doses/mL. Human liver-chimeric mice developed high-titer infections after inoculation with the challenge viruses of genotypes 1-6. Inoculation studies with different doses of the genotype 1b pool suggested that a relatively high virus dose is required to consistently infect chimeric mice. The challenge pools represent a unique resource for studies of HCV molecular virology and for studies of pathogenesis, protective immunity, and vaccine efficacy in vivo.

Development of hepatitis C virus genotyping by real-time PCR based on the NS5B region

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotyping is the most significant predictor of the response to antiviral therapy. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a novel real-time PCR method for HCV genotyping based on the NS5B region.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Two triplex reaction sets were designed, one to detect genotypes 1a, 1b and 3a; and another to detect genotypes 2a, 2b, and 2c. This approach had an overall sensitivity of 97.0%, detecting 295 of the 304 tested samples. All samples genotyped by real-time PCR had the same type that was assigned using LiPA version 1 (Line in Probe Assay). Although LiPA v. 1 was not able to subtype 68 of the 295 samples (23.0%) and rendered different subtype results from those assigned by real-time PCR for 12/295 samples (4.0%), NS5B sequencing and real-time PCR results agreed in all 146 tested cases. Analytical sensitivity of the real-time PCR assay was determined by end-point dilution of the 5000 IU/ml member of the OptiQuant HCV RNA panel. The lower limit of detection was estimated to be 125 IU/ml for genotype 3a, 250 IU/ml for genotypes 1b and 2b, and 500 IU/ml for genotype 1a.

Conclusions/Significance

The total time required for performing this assay was two hours, compared to four hours required for LiPA v. 1 after PCR-amplification. Furthermore, the estimated reaction cost was nine times lower than that of available commercial methods in Brazil. Thus, we have developed an efficient, feasible, and affordable method for HCV genotype identification.

Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis C virus genotypes in west Mexico

The identification of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes and subtypes may be helpful to identify the source of an HCV outbreak among a specific group of individuals within a given country or the pattern of spread throughout nations worldwide. Mexico is a transit country for people who migrate north towards the United States from Central and South America, however, to date, no Mexican HCV sequences have been reported. The present study was conducted to identify the HCV genotypes and subtypes prevalent in Mexico by DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis in the NS5B region of the HCV genome. Serum samples from a total of 75 anti-HCV positive patients were included in this study. Out of the 75 samples, 48 cases (64%) were amplifiable in the 5' UTR and 46 (61%) in NS5B region. HCV genotype 1a determined in 54.3% (25/46) was predominant in this cohort, followed by 1b 21.8% (10/46), 2b 13% (6/46), 3a 6.5% (3/46), and 2a 4.4% (2/46). Phylogenetic analysis showed that HCV sequences of genotype 1 (1a and 1b) were clustering more closely to the United States isolates published previously. These results may suggest that both Mexico and the United States share an epidemiological network of HCV genotype 1 while other genotypes represent sporadic infections that are specific to Mexico.

Virological footprint of CD4+ T-cell responses during chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Human and animal model evidence suggests that CD4⁺ T cells play a critical role in the control of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, despite their importance, the mechanism behind the failure of such populations in chronic disease is not understood and the contribution of viral mutation is not known. To address this, this study defined the specificity and virological footprint of CD4⁺ T cells in chronic infection. CD8⁺ T-cell-depleted peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 61 HCV genotype 1-infected patients were analysed against a panel of peptides covering the HCV genotype 1 core – a region where CD4⁺ T-cell responses may be reproducibly obtained. In parallel, the core region and E2 protein were sequenced. Gamma interferon-secreting CD4⁺ T-cell responses directed against multiple epitopes were detected in 53 % of individuals, targeting between one and four peptides in the HCV core. Viral sequence evaluation revealed that these CD4⁺ T-cell responses were associated with mutants in 2/21 individuals. In these two cases, the circulating sequence variant was poorly recognized by host CD4⁺ T cells. Bioinformatics analyses revealed no overall evidence of selection in the target epitopes and no differences between the groups with and without detectable CD4⁺ T-cell responses. It was concluded that sustained core peptide-specific CD4⁺ T-cell responses may be reproducibly measured during chronic HCV infection and that immune escape may occur in specific instances. However, overall the virological impact of such responses is limited and other causes for CD4⁺ T-cell failure in HCV must be sought.

HCV genotyping using statistical classification approach

The genotype of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) strains is an important determinant of the severity and aggressiveness of liver infection as well as patient response to antiviral therapy. Fast and accurate determination of viral genotype could provide direction in the clinical management of patients with chronic HCV infections. Using publicly available HCV nucleotide sequences, we built a global Position Weight Matrix (PWM) for the HCV genome. Based on the PWM, a set of genotype specific nucleotide sequence "signatures" were selected from the 5' NCR, CORE, E1, and NS5B regions of the HCV genome. We evaluated the predictive power of these signatures for predicting the most common HCV genotypes and subtypes. We observed that nucleotide sequence signatures selected from NS5B and E1 regions generally demonstrated stronger discriminant power in differentiating major HCV genotypes and subtypes than that from 5' NCR and CORE regions. Two discriminant methods were used to build predictive models. Through 10 fold cross validation, over 99% prediction accuracy was achieved using both support vector machine (SVM) and random forest based classification methods in a dataset of 1134 sequences for NS5B and 947 sequences for E1. Prediction accuracy for each genotype is also reported.

Market uptake of new antiviral drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Peginterferon plus ribavirin is the state-of-the-art antiviral therapy for prevention of serious complications of hepatitis C. Our aim was to compare market uptake of and access to these drugs across Europe.

METHODS

We collected launch and sales data for peginterferons for 21 countries in the WHO European region and compared country-specific sales rates. Additionally, we converted sales figures into patient numbers and related those to country-specific hepatitis C prevalence, taking into account genotype distribution, patient characteristics and practice patterns.

RESULTS

Peginterferon sales rates differed considerably across countries. The earliest, most rapid and highest adoption rates were in EU founder states, followed by EU members that joined after foundation, and EU non-member states. Most new member states showed a marked increase in sales. By the end of 2005, approximately 308,000 patients had been treated with peginterferons in the 21 countries evaluated. The number of patients ever treated ranged from 16% of prevalent cases in France to less than 1% of cases in Romania, Poland, Greece and Russia.

CONCLUSIONS

Peginterferon market uptake and access differed considerably across Europe, suggesting unequal access to optimised therapy. Besides budget restrictions, national surveillance and treatment policies should be considered as reasons for market access variation.

Cutting the gordian knot-development and biological relevance of hepatitis C virus cell culture systems

Worldwide approximately 180 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV isolates exhibit extensive genetic heterogeneity and have been grouped in six genotypes and various subtypes. Additionally, several naturally occurring intergenotypic recombinants have been described. Research on the viral life cycle, efficient therapeutics, and a vaccine has been hampered by the absence of suitable cell culture systems. The first system permitting studies of the full viral life cycle was intrahepatic transfection of RNA transcripts of HCV consensus complementary DNA (cDNA) clones into chimpanzees. However, such full-length clones were not infectious in vitro. The development of the replicon system and HCV pseudo-particles allowed in vitro studies of certain aspects of the viral life cycle, RNA replication, and viral entry, respectively. Identification of the genotype 2 isolate JFH1, which for unknown reasons showed an exceptional replication capability and resulted in formation of infectious viral particles in the human hepatoma cell line Huh7, led in 2005 to the development of the first full viral life cycle in vitro systems. JFH1-based systems now enable in vitro studies of the function of viral proteins, their interaction with each other and host proteins, new antivirals, and neutralizing antibodies in the context of the full viral life cycle. However, several challenges remain, including development of cell culture systems for all major HCV genotypes and identification of other susceptible cell lines.

Comparison of 5' noncoding-core with 5' noncoding regions of HCV by RT-PCR: importance and clinical implications

The molecular detection of HCV RNA by using primers from the 5' noncoding region (5'NCR) is universally accepted and preferred for diagnosis; however, insufficient sequence variation limits its usefulness for differentiating various subtypes-such as 1a/1b and newer subtypes, such as 1c-which cannot be distinguished by analysis of this region alone. Determination of genotypes and subtypes has important implications in the clinical management and epidemiologic investigations. The present study was designed to develop a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay using degenerate primers from the 5' noncoding-core region (5'NCR-core region) for detecting as well as subtyping HCV isolates. 5'NCR-core region and 5'NCR were amplified by nested PCR. Genotyping of HCV isolates was carried out using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay from the 5'NCR-core region using restriction enzymes AccI, MboI, and BstNI. The accuracy of the RFLP method was also evaluated using direct sequencing.

Investigation of putative multisubtype hepatitis C virus infections in vivo by heteroduplex mobility analysis of core/envelope subgenomes

The frequency that multiple different subtypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) simultaneously infect a given individual is controversial. To address this question, heteroduplex mobility analysis (HMA) of portions of the HCV core and envelope 1 region was optimized for sensitive and specific detection of mixtures of HCV genomes of different genotype or subtype. Using the standard HCV genotyping approach of 5'-untranslated region (UTR) analysis, 28 of 374 (7.5%) chronic hepatitis C research subjects were classified as having either multiple-subtype HCV infections (n = 21) or switching HCV subtypes over time (n = 7), the latter pattern implying viral superinfection. Upon retesting of specimens by HMA, 25 of 28 multiple-subtype results could not be reproduced. All three patients with positive results were injection drug users with potential multiple HCV exposures. To address the hypothesis of tissue sequestration of multiple-subtype HCV infections, liver (n = 22), peripheral blood mononuclear cell (n = 13), perihepatic lymph node (n = 16), and serum (n = 19) specimens from 23 subjects with end-stage hepatitis C were collected and analyzed by the HMA technique. Whereas 5'-UTR results implicated mixed-subtype HCV infections in 2 subjects, HMA testing revealed no evidence of a second HCV subtype in any tissue compartment (0 of 70 compartments [0%]) or within any given subject (0 of 23 subjects [0%]). In summary, a large proportion of mixed-genotype and switching-genotype patterns generated by 5'-UTR analysis were not reproducible using the HMA approach, emphasizing the need for additional study.

Clinicopathologic correlates of hepatitis C virus in brain: a pilot study

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been detected in the brain tissues of 10 individuals reported to date; it is unclear what clinical factors are associated with this, and with what frequency it occurs. Accordingly, a pilot analysis utilizing reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) to detect and sequence HCV in premortem plasma and postmortem brain and liver from 20 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and 10 HIV-naive individuals was undertaken. RNA encoding the first 126 amino acids of the HCV E1 envelope protein and the majority of the E1 signal sequence was analyzed in parallel with an 80-base-long segment of the 5' untranslated region (UTR). Liver HCV was detected only in subjects with premortem HCV viremia (10 HIV-infected and 3 HIV-naive). Brain HCV was detected in 6/10 HCV/HIV-coinfected and 1/3 HCV-monoinfected subjects. In the setting of HIV, the magnitude of plasma HCV load did not correlate with the presence of brain HCV. However, coinfected patients with brain HCV were more often off antiretroviral therapy and tended to have higher plasma HIV loads than those with HCV restricted to liver. Furthermore, premortem cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed that HCV/HIV-coinfected patients with brain HCV had detectable CSF HIV, whereas those without brain HCV had undetectable CSF HIV loads (P = .0205). Neuropsychologic tests showed a trend for hierarchical impairment of abstraction/executive functioning in HIV/HCV coinfection, with mean T scores for HIV monoinfected patients 43.2 (7.3), for liver-only HCV 39.5 (9.0), and for those with HCV in brain and liver 33.2 (5.1) (P = .0927). Predominant brain HCV sequences did not match those of the plasma or liver in 4 of the 6 coinfected patients analyzed. We conclude that in the setting of HIV/HCV coinfection, brain HCV is a common phenomenon unrelated to the magnitude of HCV viremia, but related to active HIV disease and detectable CSF HIV. Furthermore, there is sequence evidence of brain compartmentalization. Differences in abstraction/executive function of HCV/HIV coinfected patients compared to HIV monoinfected warrant further studies to determine if neuropsychiatric effects are predicated upon brain infection.

Molecular and bioinformatic evidence of hepatitis C virus evolution in brain

BACKGROUND

Neurocognitive deficits in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection prompted a search for HCV in brain.

RESULTS

HCV was present in the brains of 7 (54%) of 13 patients with viremia, as determined by 5' UTR and E1 (envelope 1) gene analysis. Brain HCV RNA consensus sequences differed from those in plasma and liver in 4 (57%) of 7 patients. The quality of HCV RNA from postmortem brain and liver was assessed and demonstrated to be suitable for sequence analysis. Quasispecies analysis revealed that several mutations present in clones from >1 brain region were absent in clones from liver and plasma. Brain-specific mutations defined several families of related sequences. The patterns of brain-specific mutations in these families were consistent with the evolution of HCV RNA from a common ancestor. Single-nucleotide-polymorphism analysis confirmed that a prominent brain-specific mutation constituted approximately 10% of HCV RNA in cerebellum and medulla but that this mutation was undetectable in the liver and plasma of the same patient.

CONCLUSIONS

This study introduces novel methods for assessing RNA from postmortem samples. It increases the reported cases of HCV in the brain, provides the first E1 sequences from the brain, and contributes to the growing evidence that HCV replicates and evolves within the brain.

Performance characteristics of a quantitative hepatitis C virus RNA assay using COBAS AmpliPrep total nucleic acid isolation and COBAS taqman hepatitis C virus analyte-specific reagent

Performance characteristics of a hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA quantification assay comprised automated specimen extraction [COBAS AmpliPrep (CAP) using total nucleic acid isolation reagents (TNAI)], and real-time polymerase chain reaction [COBAS TaqMan 48 HCV with analyte-specific reagents (CTM48)] were determined. CAP TNAI/CTM48 performed linearly from approximately 2.0 to at least 6.7 log10 IU/ml for HCV genotypes (Gts) 1, 2, and 3. The limit of detection for the World Health Organization International Standard was 23 IU/ml. Variabilities ranged from 1.3 to 2.1%. Excellent quantitative agreement was observed in clinical samples using CTM48 and two different methods for HCV RNA extraction (CAP TNAI and BioRobot M48; regression line slope, 0.98; y-intercept, 0.11; R2, 0.98; mean difference, 0.003). Good agreement was also observed between CAP TNAI/CTM48 and COBAS Amplicor Monitor (regression line slope, 0.94; y-intercept, 0.08; R2, 0.96), although HCV RNA concentrations were on average greater by COBAS Amplicor Monitor (mean difference -0.27 log10 IU/ml). Better overall agreement was observed for Gt 1 than non-Gt 1 specimens when comparing extraction and quantification methods; however, no consistent genotype-dependent quantification bias was observed. These data suggest that CAP TNAI/CTM48 offers an alternative method for the quantification of HCV in plasma samples.

The changing epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection in Europe

The epidemic of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Europe is continuously evolving and epidemiological parameters (prevalence, incidence, disease transmission patterns and genotype distribution) have changed substantially during the last 15 years. Four main factors contribute to such changes: increased blood transfusion safety, improvement of healthcare conditions, continuous expansion of intravenous drug use and immigration to Europe from endemic areas. As a result, intravenous drug use has become the main risk factor for HCV transmission, prevalent infections have increased and genotype distribution has changed and diversified. Hence, prevalence data from studies conducted a decade ago may not be useful to estimate the current and future burden of HCV infection and additional epidemiological studies should be conducted, as well as new preventive strategies implemented to control the silent epidemic. This review summarizes recently published data on the epidemiology of HCV infection in Europe focusing on the factors currently shaping the epidemic.

Factors affecting serum concentrations of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in HCV genotype 1-infected patients with chronic hepatitis

The serum concentration of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA is usually stable (4 to 8 log(10) IU/ml) in untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C. While this baseline HCV RNA concentration ([HCV RNA](BL)) is predictive of a sustained virologic response to treatment, its determinants are only partially identified. We therefore analyzed the baseline characteristics of 2,472 HCV genotype 1-infected patients to identify correlations with gender, age, race, weight, body mass index (BMI), HCV acquisition mode, HCV subtype, alanine aminotransferase concentration, or histopathologic changes in the liver. After separation of the data according to four [HCV RNA](BL) groups (< or =5.0, >5.0 to 5.6, >5.6 to 5.9, and >5.9 log(10) IU/ml), we determined that increasing [HCV RNA](BL) correlated (P < 0.05) with increasing proportions of patients who were male, >40 years of age, or heavier (a weight of >85 kg or a BMI of >27 kg/m(2)). Histologic activity index (HAI) data were available for 1,304 of these patients: increasing [HCV RNA](BL) correlated with higher fibrosis and necrosis-inflammation scores. As a continuous variable, [HCV RNA](BL) correlated with age, gender, weight (continuous or < or =85 versus >85 kg), BMI (continuous or < or =27 versus >27 kg/m(2)), subtype, fibrosis score, and necrosis-inflammation score; however, multiple-regression analysis yielded P values of <0.1 only for age, gender, BMI (< or =27 versus >27 kg/m(2)), and fibrosis score. While our findings are suggestive of a role for these factors in maintenance of the pretreatment state of HCV infection, the multiple-regression model accounted for only < or =4.6% of the [HCV RNA](BL) differences between individuals (R(2) = 0.046 for 1,304 patients with HAI scores; 0.043 for all 2,472 patients).

Improvement of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype determination with the new version of the INNO-LiPA HCV assay

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) isolates have been classified into six main genotypes. Genotyping methods, and especially the widely used line probe assay (LiPA), are frequently based on the 5'-untranslated region (5'UTR). However, this region is not appropriate for discriminating HCV strains at the subtype level and for distinguishing many genotype 6 samples from genotype 1. We investigated the capacity of a novel LiPA (Versant HCV Genotype 2.0 assay) based on the simultaneous detection of 5'UTR and Core regions for genotypes 1 and 6 to provide correct HCV genotypes (characterized with a phylogenetic analysis) in a set of HCV strains mainly encountered in Western countries. The improvement was assessed by comparing the results to those obtained with the previous version of the assay. Of the 135 tested samples, 64.7% were concordant for genotype group and subtype with sequencing reference results using the Versant HCV Genotype 2.0 assay versus 37.5% with the previous version. The yield was mainly related to a better characterization of genotype 1, since the accuracy, tested in 62 genotype 1 samples, increased from 45.2% with the first version to 96.8% with the new one. However, this new version necessitates a specific PCR and could no longer be used after 5'UTR PCR used for current HCV infection diagnosis. Moreover, the information provided by 5'UTR hybridization is not reliable for correctly identifying the diversity within genotypes 2 and 4. Thus, the Versant HCV Genotype 2.0 assay remains a useful tool for clinical practice when only the discrimination between major HCV genotypes is necessary.

Use of sequence analysis of the NS5B region for routine genotyping of hepatitis C virus with reference to C/E1 and 5' untranslated region sequences

Nucleotide sequence analysis of the NS5B region was performed to identify genotypes of 8,479 hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA-positive patient samples collected in the Canadian province of Quebec. Genotypes could be determined for 97.3% of patients. Genotypes 1 to 6 were found in 59.4, 9.0, 25.7, 3.6, 0.6, and 1.8% of patients, respectively. Two isolates did not classify within the six genotypes. The subtype 1 distribution was 76.7% 1a, 22.6% 1b, and 0.7% others, while the subtype 2 distribution was 31.8% 2a, 47.6% 2b, 10.9% 2c, 4.1% 2i, and 5.6% others. Subtype 3a accounted for 99.1% of genotype 3 strains, while all genotype 5 samples were of subtype 5a. The subtype 4 distribution was 39.2% 4a, 15.4% 4k, 11.6% 4d, 10.2% 4r, and 23.6% others. The subtype 6 distribution was 40.4% 6e, 20.5% 6a, and 39.1% others. The 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) sequences of subtype 6e were indistinguishable from those of genotype 1. All samples that did not classify within the established subtypes were also sequenced in C/E1 and 5'UTR. C/E1 phylogenetic reconstructions were analogous to those of NS5B. The sequences identified in this study allowed the provisional assignments of subtypes 1j, 1k, 2m, 2r, 3i, 4q, 6q, 6r, and 6s. Sixty-four (0.8%) isolates classifying within genotypes 1 to 6 could not be assigned to one of the recognized subtypes. Our results show that genotyping of HCV by nucleotide sequence analysis of NS5B is efficient, allows the accurate discrimination of subtypes, and is an effective tool for studying the molecular epidemiology of HCV.

Monitoring of hepatitis C virus quasispecies in chronic infection by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry mutation detection

Using both a mass spectrometry-based method and the classical method of cloning and sequencing, we demonstrated weekly changes in the hypervariable region 1 quasispecies of a chimpanzee infected with an infectious clone, coinciding with neutralizing antibody emergence. We also used the mass spectrometry method in the clinical follow-up of a chronically infected patient over a 5-year period.

Multiplex real-time reverse transcription-PCR assay for determination of hepatitis C virus genotypes

A variety of methods have been used to determine hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes. Because therapeutic decisions for chronic HCV-related hepatitis are made on the basis of genotype, it is important that genotype be accurately determined by clinical laboratories. Existing methods are often subjective, inaccurate, manual, time-consuming, and contamination prone. We therefore evaluated real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) reagents that have recently become commercially available (Abbott HCV Genotype ASR). The assay developed by our laboratory starts with purified RNA and can be performed in 4 to 5 h. An initial evaluation of 479 samples was done with a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method and the RT-PCR assay, and discrepant samples were sequenced. An additional 1,200 samples were then tested, and data from all assays were used to evaluate the efficiency and specificity of each genotype-specific reaction. Good correlation between results by the two methods was seen. Discrepant samples included those indeterminate by the RT-PCR assay (n = 110) and a subset that were incorrectly called 2a by the RFLP method (n = 75). The real-time RT-PCR assay performed well with genotype 1, 2, and 3 samples. Inadequate numbers of samples were available to evaluate fully genotypes 4, 5, and 6. Analysis of each primer-probe set demonstrated that weak cross-reactive amplifications were common but usually did not interfere with the genotype determination. However, in about 1% of samples, two or more genotypes amplified at roughly equivalent amounts. Further studies are necessary to determine whether these mixed-genotype samples are true mixtures or a reflection of occasional cross-reactive amplifications.

Phylogenetic analysis of previously nontypeable hepatitis C virus isolates from Argentina

Phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis C virus isolates from Argentina that were previously nontypeable by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis revealed that they belong to genotype 1a. A substitution at position 107 (G-->A), which is the landmark of these strains, was shown to be distributed among isolates worldwide. The RFLP patterns obtained for these isolates should be added to the ones reported for genotype 1 isolates.

A rapid real-time PCR assay for determination of hepatitis C virus genotypes 1, 2 and 3a

The genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in serum of patients have been described as independent predictors of success of antiviral therapy. Therefore, different antiviral regimens have been proposed depending on the infecting HCV genotype. HCV strain is usually determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of genome followed by sequencing or by line-probe assays. We report a new one step real-time PCR assay for genotyping of HCV strains that are prevalent in patients in Norway. HCV types 1, 2 and 3a were genotyped unambiguously in 37 patient serum samples with 100% correlation to genotyping by nucleotide sequence analysis and line-probe assays. Genotyping could also be confirmed against an HCV genotype panel from the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control. This assay does not require manipulation of amplified PCR products, it involves very little hands on and analysis time. This assay can be used for rapid genotyping of HCV-RNA in infected patients to aid physicians decide suitability of patients for treatment and subsequent length of treatment.

Hepatitis C virus genotype distribution in China: predominance of closely related subtype 1b isolates and existence of new genotype 6 variants

To determine hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype distribution in China, a total of 148 HCV RNA positive serum samples were collected from nine geographic areas and subjected to RT-PCR followed by direct DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the core, E1, and NS5B regions. HCV was genotyped in 139 (93.9%) samples. Among them subtype 1b was the most predominant [66% (92/139)] followed by 2a [14% (19/139)]. Of 92 subtype 1b isolates, 35 (38%) and 30 (33%) formed two clusters, designated groups A and B. Group A was prevalent throughout China, while group B was predominant in the central and southern regions. In three cities in the Pearl River Delta, subtype 6a replaced 2a as the second most predominant subtype, and in Kunming (southwest) multiple HCV genotypes/subtypes were present. New variants of HCV genotype 6 were discovered in three samples from Kunming and one in Guangzhou in the Pearl River Delta.

Comparison of hepatitis C virus NS5b and 5' noncoding gene sequencing methods in a multicenter study

A national evaluation study was performed in 11 specialized laboratories with the objective of assessing their capacities to genotype hepatitis C virus (HCV) and define the applicability of a given genotyping method. The panel consisted of 14 samples positive for HCV RNA of different genotypes (including 3 samples with two different artificially mixed genotypes) and 1 HCV-negative sample. Seventeen sets of data were gathered from the 11 participating laboratories. The sensitivities ranged from 64.3 to 100% and from 42.7 to 85.7% for the methods that used sequencing of the NS5b region and the 5' noncoding (5' NC) region, respectively. When the data for the artificially mixed samples were excluded, NS5b genotyping gave correct results for 80% of the samples, 1.7% of the samples were misclassified, and 18.3% of the samples had false-negative results. By 5' NC-region genotyping methods, 58.3% of the results were correct, 29.7% were incomplete, 8.3% were misclassifications, 1.2% were false positive, and 2.4% were false negative. Only two procedures based on NS5b sequencing correctly identified one of the three samples with mixtures of genotypes; the other methods identified the genotype corresponding to the strain with the highest viral load in the sample. Our results suggest that HCV 5' NC-region genotyping methods give sufficient information for clinical purposes, in which the determination of the subtype is not essential, and that NS5b genotyping methods are more reliable for subtype determination, which is required in epidemiological studies.

Verification of an assay for quantification of hepatitis C virus RNA by use of an analyte-specific reagent and two different extraction methods

Protocols were designed for quantification and detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA by the use of an analyte-specific reagent (ASR) (Roche COBAS TaqMan48 [CTM48] HCV) after manual and automated RNA extraction. The purposes were to determine (i) assay performance characteristics using manual and automated RNA extraction methods, (ii) whether measurable range and limit of detection (LOD) of the ASR assay were influenced by genotype, and (iii) correlation of quantification by CTM48 HCV ASR and COBAS Monitor HCV v. 2.0. For HCV genotype 1 (Gt1), the lower limits of quantification after manual extraction were slightly lower than those for automated extraction (1.0 versus 1.5 log(10) IU/ml). Results were linear up to the highest concentration tested after extraction by both methods (manual, 6.1 log(10); automated, 6.4 log(10)). Similar results were obtained for Gt2 (1.8 to 6.8 log(10) IU/ml) and Gt3 (1.6 to 6.8 log(10) IU/ml) after automated extraction. The LOD of Gt1 virus was 10 IU/ml after manual extraction and between 25 and 37.5 IU/ml after automated extraction. Results with Gt2 and Gt3 viruses were similar after automated extraction (Gt2, between 25 and 50 IU/ml; Gt3, 25 IU/ml). Variability (intrarun and interrun, at concentrations throughout the range of quantification) was </=13% for both extraction methods. Clinical specimens tested by Monitor were quantified using the CTM48 HCV ASR assay. Characteristics of the regression line included a slope of 0.98 and y intercept of -0.23. Quantification by the two methods was correlated (r = 0.97). CTM48 HCV ASR assay values were on average twofold lower than those for Monitor HCV v. 2.0. These data suggest that our assay combines the characteristics of qualitative and quantitative PCR platforms into a single test.