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Lago BV, Portilho MM, Mello VM, De Sousa PSF, Angelice GP, Marques BCL, da Silva Andrade LT, Marques VA, Lewis-Ximenez LL, Mello FCDA, Villar LM. Genetic variability of hepatitis B virus in acute and in different phases of chronic infection in Brazil. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10742. [PMID: 38730249 PMCID: PMC11087654 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60900-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The selection pressure imposed by the host immune system impacts on hepatitis B virus (HBV) variability. This study evaluates HBV genetic diversity, nucleos(t)ide analogs resistance and HBsAg escape mutations in HBV patients under distinct selective pressures. One hundred and thirteen individuals in different phases of HBV infection were included: 13 HBeAg-positive chronic infection, 9 HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis, 47 HBeAg-negative chronic infection (ENI), 29 HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis (ENH) and 15 acute infected individuals. Samples were PCR amplified, sequenced and genetically analyzed for the overlapping POL/S genes. Most HBV carriers presented genotype A (84/113; 74.3%), subgenotype A1 (67/84; 79.7%), irrespective of group, followed by genotypes D (20/113; 17.7%), F (8/113; 7.1%) and E (1/113; 0.9%). Clinically relevant mutations in polymerase (tL180M/M204V) and in the Major Hydrophilic Region of HBsAg (sY100C, T118A/M, sM133T, sD144A and sG145R) were observed. Our findings, however, indicated that most polymorphic sites were located in the cytosolic loops (CYL1-2) and transmembrane domain 4 (TMD4) of HBsAg. Lower viral loads and higher HBV genetic diversity were observed in ENI and ENH groups (p < 0.001), suggesting that these groups are subjected to a higher selective pressure. Our results provide information on the molecular characteristics of HBV in a diverse clinical setting, and may guide future studies on the balance of HBV quasispecies at different stages of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Vieira Lago
- Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Hélio and Peggy Pereira Pavillion, Ground Floor, Office B09, FIOCRUZ Av. Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 210360-040, Brazil.
- Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Moyra Machado Portilho
- Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Hélio and Peggy Pereira Pavillion, Ground Floor, Office B09, FIOCRUZ Av. Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 210360-040, Brazil
| | - Vinicius Motta Mello
- Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Hélio and Peggy Pereira Pavillion, Ground Floor, Office B09, FIOCRUZ Av. Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 210360-040, Brazil.
| | - Paulo Sergio Fonseca De Sousa
- Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Hélio and Peggy Pereira Pavillion, Ground Floor, Office B09, FIOCRUZ Av. Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 210360-040, Brazil
| | - Giovana Paula Angelice
- Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Hélio and Peggy Pereira Pavillion, Ground Floor, Office B09, FIOCRUZ Av. Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 210360-040, Brazil
| | - Bianca Cristina Leires Marques
- Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Hélio and Peggy Pereira Pavillion, Ground Floor, Office B09, FIOCRUZ Av. Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 210360-040, Brazil
| | - Larissa Tropiano da Silva Andrade
- Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Hélio and Peggy Pereira Pavillion, Ground Floor, Office B09, FIOCRUZ Av. Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 210360-040, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Alves Marques
- Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Hélio and Peggy Pereira Pavillion, Ground Floor, Office B09, FIOCRUZ Av. Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 210360-040, Brazil
| | - Lia Laura Lewis-Ximenez
- Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Hélio and Peggy Pereira Pavillion, Ground Floor, Office B09, FIOCRUZ Av. Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 210360-040, Brazil
| | - Francisco Campello do Amaral Mello
- Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Hélio and Peggy Pereira Pavillion, Ground Floor, Office B09, FIOCRUZ Av. Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 210360-040, Brazil
| | - Livia Melo Villar
- Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Hélio and Peggy Pereira Pavillion, Ground Floor, Office B09, FIOCRUZ Av. Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 210360-040, Brazil
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Lazarevic I, Banko A, Miljanovic D, Cupic M. Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Isoforms: Their Clinical Implications, Utilisation in Diagnosis, Prevention and New Antiviral Strategies. Pathogens 2024; 13:46. [PMID: 38251353 PMCID: PMC10818932 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13010046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is a multifunctional glycoprotein composed of large (LHB), middle (MHB), and small (SHB) subunits. HBsAg isoforms have numerous biological functions during HBV infection-from initial and specific viral attachment to the hepatocytes to initiating chronic infection with their immunomodulatory properties. The genetic variability of HBsAg isoforms may play a role in several HBV-related liver phases and clinical manifestations, from occult hepatitis and viral reactivation upon immunosuppression to fulminant hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Their immunogenic properties make them a major target for developing HBV vaccines, and in recent years they have been recognised as valuable targets for new therapeutic approaches. Initial research has already shown promising results in utilising HBsAg isoforms instead of quantitative HBsAg for correctly evaluating chronic infection phases and predicting functional cures. The ratio between surface components was shown to indicate specific outcomes of HBV and HDV infections. Thus, besides traditional HBsAg detection and quantitation, HBsAg isoform quantitation can become a useful non-invasive biomarker for assessing chronically infected patients. This review summarises the current knowledge of HBsAg isoforms, their potential usefulness and aspects deserving further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Lazarevic
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (A.B.); (D.M.); (M.C.)
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