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Ullah S, Naveed M, Ali A, Bibi S, Idrees W, Rafique S, Idrees M, Waqas M, Uddin J, Jan A, Khan A, Al-Harrasi A. Assessment of ubiquitin specific Peptidase-18 gene in peripheral blood of chronic hepatitis C patients treated with direct-acting antiviral drugs. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24581. [PMID: 38298711 PMCID: PMC10828700 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains one of the leading causes of liver complications globally. Ubiquitin Specific Peptidase-18 (USP18) is a ubiquitin-specific protease that cleaves interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) from ISGylated protein complexes and is involved in regulating interferon responsiveness. To study the effect of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) on the USP18 gene using qPCR, 132 participants were recruited and classified into different groups based on treatment duration. USP18 expression was raised compared to rapid virologic response (RVR) and early virologic response (EVR) groups with P = 0.0026 and P = 0.0016, respectively. USP18 was found to be 7.36 folds higher in naïve patients than those with RVR and sustained viral response (SVR). In RVR and SVR groups where patients had cleared HCV RNA after treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) therapy, the expression of USP18 was found to be low, with a fold change of 1.3 and 1.4 folds, respectively. Expression of USP18 was significantly higher in the non-RVR group than in the RVR group. In the No EVR group, gene expression was significantly higher than in the EVR group. It is concluded that targeting HCV proteins using DAAs can cause USP18 expression to be normalized more effectively. Moreover, USP18 is a vital marker indicating treatment resistance and distinguishing responders from non-responders during DAA therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami Ullah
- Molecular Virology laboratory Centre for Applied Molecular Biology (CAMB), 87-West Canal Bank Road Thokar Niaz Baig, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Mariam Naveed
- Molecular Virology laboratory Centre for Applied Molecular Biology (CAMB), 87-West Canal Bank Road Thokar Niaz Baig, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Amjad Ali
- Molecular Virology laboratory Centre for Applied Molecular Biology (CAMB), 87-West Canal Bank Road Thokar Niaz Baig, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Hazara University Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Sadia Bibi
- Department of Botany, University of Malakand Chakdara, Dir lower, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Wafa Idrees
- Khyber Medical College, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Shazia Rafique
- Division of Molecular Virology, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), 87-West Canal Bank Road Thokar Niaz Baig, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Idrees
- Division of Molecular Virology, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), 87-West Canal Bank Road Thokar Niaz Baig, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
- Vice Chancellor, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Waqas
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Hazara University Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Birkat-ul-Mouz 616, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Jalal Uddin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, 62529, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Afnan Jan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ajmal Khan
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Birkat-ul-Mouz 616, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Ahmed Al-Harrasi
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Birkat-ul-Mouz 616, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman
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Faiz S, Irfan M, Farooq S, Khan IA, Iqbal H, Wahab AT, Shakeel M, Gong P, Iftner T, Choudhary MI. Study of drug resistance-associated genetic mutations, and phylo-genetic analysis of HCV in the Province of Sindh, Pakistan. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12213. [PMID: 37500705 PMCID: PMC10374889 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39339-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Current management of HCV infection is based on Direct-Acting Antiviral Drugs (DAAs). However, resistance-associated mutations, especially in the NS3 and NS5B regions are gradually decreasing the efficacy of DAAs. The aim of the current study was to identify such mutations in the NS3, and NS5B genes in DAAs treatment-naïve Pakistani chronic HCV 3a patients. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 233 chronic HCV 3a patients at different tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan, between August 2020 to September 2021. PCR-amplified target regions of the NS3/NS5B gene were subjected to Sanger sequencing to identify resistance-associated mutations. Phylogenetic analysis of the identified amino acid sequences was performed using HCV3a sequences of the global population in the virus pathogen resource (VIPR) database. Sequence analysis identified five amino acid mutations, Leu36Pro, Gln41His, Gln80Lys/Arg, Ala156Tyr, and Gln168Arg in the NS3 region, and two mutations Leu159Phe and Cys316Arg in the NS5B region. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a high genetic diversity in the studied isolates. Overall, the prevalence of resistance-associated substitutions was almost similar to other geographic regions worldwide. This data could be helpful in selecting the most effective treatment regimen for HCV chronically infected people in Pakistan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirmast Faiz
- Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, National Institute of Virology, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Irfan
- Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, Jamil-ur-Rahman Center for Genome Research, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan
| | - Saba Farooq
- Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, National Institute of Virology, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan.
| | - Ishtiaq Ahmad Khan
- Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, Jamil-ur-Rahman Center for Genome Research, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan.
| | - Hana'a Iqbal
- Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, National Institute of Virology, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan
| | - Atia-Tul Wahab
- Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Shakeel
- Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, Jamil-ur-Rahman Center for Genome Research, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan
| | - Peng Gong
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.44 Xiao Hong Shan, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Thomas Iftner
- Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, National Institute of Virology, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan
- Institute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital and Medical Faculty, Eberhard Karls University, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - M Iqbal Choudhary
- Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, National Institute of Virology, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan.
- Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, Jamil-ur-Rahman Center for Genome Research, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan.
- Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan.
- Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan.
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Ramos D, Pinto M, Sousa Coutinho R, Silva C, Quina M, Gomes JP, Pádua E. Looking at the Molecular Target of NS5A Inhibitors throughout a Population Highly Affected with Hepatitis C Virus. Pathogens 2023; 12:754. [PMID: 37375444 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12060754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is associated with liver damage and an increased progression rate to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In Portugal, it is prevalent in vulnerable populations such as injection drug users (IDU). HCV is characterized by a high intra-host variability, and the selecting driving forces could select variants containing resistance-associated substitutions (RAS) that reduce treatment effectiveness. The main goal of this study was to analyze the sequence variation of NS5A in treatment-naïve IDU. The epidemiological and clinical status of hepatitis C were analyzed, and samples were sequenced by Sanger and Next-Generation sequencing (NGS) to assess RAS and confirm HCV subtypes. Phylogenetic classification was concordant: 1a, 52.4%; 1b, 10.7%; 3a, 20.2%; 4a, 8.3%; 4d, 7.1%; and one 2k/1b recombinant. A 1a/3a mixed infection was detected by NGS. RAS were found in 34.5% (29/84) of samples using Sanger sequencing, while in 42.9% (36/84) using NGS. In sequences from subtypes 1a and 1b, RAS K24R, M28V, Q30H/R, H58D/P/Q/R, and RAS L31M and P58S were detected, respectively. In subtype 3a, RAS A30S/T, Y93H and polymorphisms in position 62 were identified. Additionally, RAS P58L was detected in genotype 4. The strategy used for the molecular survey of baseline HCV resistance is of particular importance to achieve treatment effectiveness and contribute to the elimination of hepatitis C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Ramos
- Reference Laboratory of HIV and Hepatitis B and C, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Av. Padre Cruz, P-1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Miguel Pinto
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Av. Padre Cruz, P-1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo Sousa Coutinho
- Association Ares do Pinhal, Association for the Rehabilitation of Drug Addicts, Low-Threshold Methadone Substitution Program, R. José Inácio Andrade, Loja 2-A6-10B Quinta do Lavrado, P-1900-418 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carolina Silva
- Reference Laboratory of HIV and Hepatitis B and C, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Av. Padre Cruz, P-1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Miriam Quina
- Reference Laboratory of HIV and Hepatitis B and C, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Av. Padre Cruz, P-1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João Paulo Gomes
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Av. Padre Cruz, P-1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Elizabeth Pádua
- Reference Laboratory of HIV and Hepatitis B and C, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Av. Padre Cruz, P-1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
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Rodrigues JPV, Campos GRF, Bittar C, Martinelli ADLC, Campos MSDA, Pereira LRL, Rahal P, Souza FF. Selection dynamics of HCV genotype 3 resistance-associated substitutions under direct-acting antiviral therapy pressure. Braz J Infect Dis 2022; 26:102717. [PMID: 36410397 PMCID: PMC9706524 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjid.2022.102717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treatment is currently based on the use of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), and patients infected with hepatitis C virus genotype 3 (GT3) have emerged as a more difficult-to-cure population. The NS5A inhibitor daclatasvir (DCV) and sofosbuvir (SOF), an NS5B viral polymerase inhibitor, are among the drugs that compose more effective and safer treatment regimens. The virus genetic variability is related to resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) that adversely impact DAAs effectiveness. The aims of this study were to analyze the association of NS5A and NS5B RASs and other clinical factors with DAAs regimens effectiveness in patients with GT3 CHC infection. This was a prospective cohort study performed in a Brazilian university hospital. Individuals older than 18 years with GT3 CHC treated with SOF + DCV ± ribavirin (RBV) or SOF + peginterferon (PEG) + RBV were included. Blood samples were collected at baseline and post-treatment. A total of 121 patients were included. Sustained virological response rates were 87.6% for the SOF + DCV ± RBV group and 80.0% for the SOF + PEG + RBV arm. Cirrhosis, prior treatment with interferon/PEG + RBV, and baseline NS5A RAS were associated with higher risk of treatment failure. The NS5A analysis suggested that A30K, Y93H, and RAS at site 62 were related to failure. Interestingly, a likely compensatory effect was shown between A30K and A62T. Emergence of Y93H was always associated with RAS at position 62. The RASs dynamics comprehension is an important tool to indicate more effective treatment for GT3 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Paulo Vilela Rodrigues
- Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.
| | | | - Cintia Bittar
- Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brasil
| | | | - Marília Silveira de Almeida Campos
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil
| | - Leonardo Régis Leira Pereira
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil
| | - Paula Rahal
- Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brasil
| | - Fernanda Fernandes Souza
- Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil
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Lapointe HR, Dong W, Dong WWY, Kirkby D, Woods C, Poon AFY, Howe AYM, Harrigan PR, Brumme CJ. Validation of a Genotype-Independent Hepatitis C Virus Near-Whole Genome Sequencing Assay. Viruses 2021; 13:v13091721. [PMID: 34578305 PMCID: PMC8473162 DOI: 10.3390/v13091721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the effectiveness of direct-acting antiviral agents in treating hepatitis C virus (HCV), cases of treatment failure have been associated with the emergence of resistance-associated substitutions. To better guide clinical decision-making, we developed and validated a near-whole-genome HCV genotype-independent next-generation sequencing strategy. HCV genotype 1-6 samples from direct-acting antiviral agent treatment-naïve and -treated HCV-infected individuals were included. Viral RNA was extracted using a NucliSens easyMAG and amplified using nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Libraries were prepared using Nextera XT and sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform. Data were processed by an in-house pipeline (MiCall). Nucleotide consensus sequences were aligned to reference strain sequences for resistance-associated substitution identification and compared to NS3, NS5a, and NS5b sequence data obtained from a validated in-house assay optimized for HCV genotype 1. Sequencing success rates (defined as achieving >100-fold read coverage) approaching 90% were observed for most genotypes in samples with a viral load >5 log10 IU/mL. This genotype-independent sequencing method resulted in >99.8% nucleotide concordance with the genotype 1-optimized method, and 100% agreement in genotype assignment with paired line probe assay-based genotypes. The assay demonstrated high intra-run repeatability and inter-run reproducibility at detecting substitutions above 2% prevalence. This study highlights the performance of a freely available laboratory and bioinformatic approach for reliable HCV genotyping and resistance-associated substitution detection regardless of genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hope R. Lapointe
- Department of Medicine, Division of Social Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (H.R.L.); (P.R.H.)
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; (W.D.); (W.W.Y.D.); (D.K.); (C.W.)
| | - Weiyan Dong
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; (W.D.); (W.W.Y.D.); (D.K.); (C.W.)
| | - Winnie W. Y. Dong
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; (W.D.); (W.W.Y.D.); (D.K.); (C.W.)
| | - Don Kirkby
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; (W.D.); (W.W.Y.D.); (D.K.); (C.W.)
| | - Conan Woods
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; (W.D.); (W.W.Y.D.); (D.K.); (C.W.)
| | - Art F. Y. Poon
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada;
| | - Anita Y. M. Howe
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4R4, Canada;
| | - P. Richard Harrigan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Social Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (H.R.L.); (P.R.H.)
| | - Chanson J. Brumme
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; (W.D.); (W.W.Y.D.); (D.K.); (C.W.)
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Di Maio VC, Barbaliscia S, Teti E, Fiorentino G, Milana M, Paolucci S, Pollicino T, Morsica G, Starace M, Bruzzone B, Gennari W, Micheli V, Yu La Rosa K, Foroghi L, Calvaruso V, Lenci I, Polilli E, Babudieri S, Aghemo A, Raimondo G, Sarmati L, Coppola N, Pasquazzi C, Baldanti F, Parruti G, Perno CF, Angelico M, Craxì A, Andreoni M, Ceccherini-Silberstein F. Resistance analysis and treatment outcomes in hepatitis C virus genotype 3-infected patients within the Italian network VIRONET-C. Liver Int 2021; 41:1802-1814. [PMID: 33497016 DOI: 10.1111/liv.14797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
AIM This study aimed to investigate the role of resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) to direct-acting-antivirals (DAAs) in HCV genotype 3 (GT3). METHODS Within the Italian VIRONET-C network, a total of 539 GT3-infected patients (417 DAA-naïve and 135 DAA-failures, of them, 13 at both baseline and failure) were analysed. Sanger sequencing of NS3/NS5A/NS5B was performed following home-made protocols. RESULTS The majority of patients were male (79.4%), 91.4% were injection drug users, 49.3% were cirrhotic and 13.9% were HIV co-infected. Phylogenetic analysis classified sequences as GT3a-b-g-h (98%-0.4%-0.2%-1.2%) respectively. Overall, 135 patients failed a DAA regimen: sofosbuvir (SOF)/daclatasvir (DCV) or velpatasvir (VEL)±ribavirin (RBV) (N = 91/15) and glecaprevir (G)/pibrentasvir (P) (N = 9). Moreover, 14.8% of patients were treated with suboptimal regimens for GT3: 3D ± RBV (Paritaprevir/r + Ombitasvir+Dasabuvir, N = 15), SOF + Simeprevir (SIM) (N = 1) or SOF/Ledipasvir (LDV) ± RBV (N = 4). RAS prevalence was 15.8% in DAA-naïve patients. At failure, 81.5% patients showed at least one RAS: 11/25 (44.0%) in NS3, 109/135 (80.7%) in NS5A, 7/111 (6.3%) in NS5B SOF-failures. In NS5A-failures, Y93H RAS was the most prevalent (68.5% vs 5.1% DAA-naïve, P < .001) followed by A30K (12.7% vs 2.8% in DAA-naïve, P < .001). Analysing baseline samples, a higher prevalence of NS5A-RASs was observed before treatment in DAA-failures (5/13, 38.5%) vs DAA-naïves (61/393, 15.5%, P = .04). Regarding 228 DAA-naïve patients with an available outcome, 93.9% achieved a SVR. Interestingly, patients with baseline Y93H and/or A30K had SVR rate of 72.2% vs 95.7% for patients without NS5A-RASs (P = .002). CONCLUSIONS In this real-life GT3 cohort, the majority of failures harboured resistant variants carrying NS5A-RASs, the most frequent being Y93H. The presence of natural NS5A-RASs before treatment was associated with failure. Further analyses are needed to confirm this observation, particularly for the new current regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Velia Chiara Di Maio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Barbaliscia
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Teti
- Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Martina Milana
- Hepatology Unit, University Hospital of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Paolucci
- Molecular Virology Unit, Microbiology and Virology Department, IRCCS Policlinic Foundation San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Teresa Pollicino
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Giulia Morsica
- Division of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS, Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Mario Starace
- Laboratory for the identification of prognostic factors of response to the treatment against infectious diseases, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy
| | | | - William Gennari
- Microbiology Unit, University Hospital of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Valeria Micheli
- Clinical Microbiology, Virology and Bioemergencies, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco University Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Katia Yu La Rosa
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Foroghi
- Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Ilaria Lenci
- Hepatology Unit, University Hospital of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Ennio Polilli
- Infectious Disease Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy
| | - Sergio Babudieri
- Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Alessio Aghemo
- Division of Internal Medicine and Hepatology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Giovanni Raimondo
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Loredana Sarmati
- Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Coppola
- Laboratory for the identification of prognostic factors of response to the treatment against infectious diseases, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy.,Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Infectious Diseases Unit, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | | | - Fausto Baldanti
- Molecular Virology Unit, Microbiology and Virology Department, IRCCS Policlinic Foundation San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giustino Parruti
- Infectious Disease Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy
| | | | - Mario Angelico
- Hepatology Unit, University Hospital of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Craxì
- Gastroenterology, "P. Giaccone" University Hospital, Palermo, Italy
| | - Massimo Andreoni
- Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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7
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Sarrazin C. Treatment failure with DAA therapy: Importance of resistance. J Hepatol 2021; 74:1472-1482. [PMID: 33716089 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Viral resistance is a major reason for virological failure in patients being treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for chronic HCV infection. However, the importance of viral resistance mainly depends on the DAA regimen and HCV genotype. For first-line therapy with glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (G/P) or velpatasvir/sofosbuvir (VEL/SOF) no general baseline resistance analysis is required because of the high antiviral activity and high barrier to resistance. If available, resistance testing may help to optimise therapy in certain subgroups of patients with HCV genotype 3 and other rare HCV geno/subtypes. Voxilaprevir/velpatasvir/sofosbuvir (VOX/VEL/SOF) is the first choice for the second-line treatment of patients following a previous DAA failure, with rates of viral eradication above 90% irrespective of the presence of resistance-associated substitutions (RASs). However, in resource-limited settings, only first-generation DAAs may be available for second-line therapy. Here, RASs selected during initial antiviral therapy should be considered if testing is available and rescue treatment should include a switch to a regimen with a new DAA class to optimise treatment response. Patients with HCV genotype 3 are overrepresented in the group who experience DAA treatment failure. Limited data are available for third-line therapies, but promising results have been achieved with G/P plus SOF or VOX/VEL/SOF with or without ribavirin for 12 to 24 weeks; these regimens should be administered irrespective of a patient's RAS profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Sarrazin
- St. Josefs-Hospital, Beethovenstr. 20, 65189 Wiesbaden, Germany; Goethe-University Hospital, Medizinische Klinik 1, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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8
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Rahimi P, Sharafi H, Bahramali G, SajadianFard F, Asadi NS, Alavian SM, Iranpur Mobarakeh V, Moravej SZ. Prevalence of Naturally-Occurring NS5A and NS5B Resistance-Associated Substitutions in Iranian Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Infection. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:617375. [PMID: 33584581 PMCID: PMC7876467 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.617375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV), non-structural 5A (NS5A), and non-structural 5B (NS5B) resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) are the main causes of failure to direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs). NS5A and NS5B RASs can occur in patients with HCV infection naturally and before exposure to DAAs. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate naturally-occurring NS5A and NS5B RASs in Iranian patients with HCV genotype 1a (HCV-1a) and -3a infections. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, viral RNA was extracted from serum specimens. NS5A and NS5B regions were amplified using RT-PCR followed by DNA sequencing. The results of nucleotide sequences were aligned against reference sequences of HCV-1a and -3a and the amino acid substitutions were analyzed using geno2pheno [hcv] web application. RESULTS Among 135 patients with hepatitis C, NS5A amino acid substitutions/RASs were identified in 26.4% and 15.9% of patients with HCV-1a and -3a infections, respectively. The identified amino acid substitutions/RASs in the NS5A region of patients with HCV-1a infection were M28T/V/I 11.1%, Q30R/H 4.2%, L31M 1.4%, and H58Y/P/C/D/Q/S/T 16.7%. Y93H substitution was not found in HCV-1a sequences. In patients with HCV-3a infection, NS5A amino acid substitutions/RASs were A30T/K 9.5%, L31F 1.6%, P58S/T/C 3.2%, Y93H 3.2%, and Y93N 3.2%. No resistance substitutions were identified in NS5B sequences from patients with HCV-1a and -3a infections. CONCLUSION In this study, baseline amino acid substitutions/RASs were only identified in the NS5A region in Iranian patients with HCV-1a and -3a infections, and the prevalence of these amino acid substitutions/RASs were in accordance with similar studies. There were no RASs in the HCV-1a and -3a NS5B region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooneh Rahimi
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Golnaz Bahramali
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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9
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Caputo V, Diotti RA, Boeri E, Hasson H, Sampaolo M, Criscuolo E, Bagaglio S, Messina E, Uberti-Foppa C, Castelli M, Burioni R, Mancini N, Clementi M, Clementi N. Detection of low-level HCV variants in DAA treated patients: comparison amongst three different NGS data analysis protocols. Virol J 2020; 17:103. [PMID: 32660499 PMCID: PMC7359454 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-020-01381-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Notwithstanding the efforts of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for the treatment of chronically infected hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients, concerns exist regarding the emergence of resistance-associated substitutions (RAS) related to therapy failure. Sanger sequencing is still the reference technique used for the detection of RAS and it detects viral variants present up to 15%, meaning that minority variants are undetectable, using this technique. To date, many studies are focused on the analysis of the impact of HCV low variants using next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, but the importance of these minority variants is still debated, and importantly, a common data analysis method is still not defined. METHODS Serum samples from four patients failing DAAs therapy were collected at baseline and failure, and amplification of NS3, NS5A and NS5B genes was performed on each sample. The genes amplified were sequenced using Sanger and NGS Illumina sequencing and the data generated were analyzed with different approaches. Three different NGS data analysis methods, two homemade in silico pipeline and one commercially available certified user-friendly software, were used to detect low-level variants. RESULTS The NGS approach allowed to infer also very-low level virus variants. Moreover, data processing allowed to generate high accuracy data which results in reduction in the error rates for each single sequence polymorphism. The results improved the detection of low-level viral variants in the HCV quasispecies of the analyzed patients, and in one patient a low-level RAS related to treatment failure was identified. Importantly, the results obtained from only two out of the three data analysis strategies were in complete agreement in terms of both detection and frequency of RAS. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight the need to find a robust NGS data analysis method to standardize NGS results for a better comprehension of the clinical role of low-level HCV variants. Based on the extreme importance of data analysis approaches for wet-data interpretation, a detailed description of the used pipelines and further standardization of the in silico analysis could allow increasing diagnostic laboratory networking to unleash true potentials of NGS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Caputo
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology at "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Antonia Diotti
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology at "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Enzo Boeri
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Hamid Hasson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Hospital, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Sampaolo
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Criscuolo
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology at "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Sabrina Bagaglio
- Department of Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Hospital, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuela Messina
- Department of Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Hospital, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Matteo Castelli
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology at "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Burioni
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology at "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicasio Mancini
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology at "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy.,Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Clementi
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology at "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy.,Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Clementi
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology at "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy. .,Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, 20132, Milan, Italy.
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10
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Poordad F, Shiffman ML, Ghesquiere W, Wong A, Huhn GD, Wong F, Ramji A, Shafran SD, McPhee F, Yang R, Noviello S, Linaberry M. Daclatasvir and sofosbuvir with ribavirin for 24 weeks in chronic hepatitis C genotype-3-infected patients with cirrhosis: a Phase III study (ALLY-3C). Antivir Ther 2020; 24:35-44. [PMID: 30382942 DOI: 10.3851/imp3278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optimal treatment for patients with HCV genotype-3 infection and liver cirrhosis remains a medical priority. Daclatasvir+sofosbuvir and ribavirin is a recommended option for such patients, but clinical trial data are lacking for treatment >16 weeks. METHODS This was a single-arm, Phase III study of daclatasvir+sofosbuvir+ribavirin for 24 weeks in patients with compensated cirrhosis and HCV genotype-3 infection. The primary end point was sustained virological response at post-treatment week 12 (SVR12); the primary objective was to demonstrate statistical superiority to historical SVR12 data for 12 weeks' daclatasvir+sofosbuvir without ribavirin in genotype-3-infected patients with cirrhosis (95% CI lower bound >79.0%). RESULTS A total of 78 patients were treated (54 treatment-naive, 24 treatment-experienced including 8 with prior sofosbuvir exposure). SVR12 was achieved by 87% (68/78; 95% CI 77.7, 93.7%) of patients in the primary analysis of central laboratory data. One additional patient achieved SVR12 by local testing resulting in an overall SVR12 rate of 88% (95% CI 79.2, 94.6%) and the lower bound of the 95% CI above the historical threshold. SVR12 rates were 93% (50/54) for treatment-naive and 79% (19/24) for treatment-experienced patients. Of the nine non-SVR12 patients, four were lost to follow-up, two relapsed (both sofosbuvir-experienced), two had end-of-treatment virological failure and one discontinued early. There were no unexpected safety signals; only one patient discontinued for an adverse event. CONCLUSIONS Daclatasvir+sofosbuvir+ribavirin for 24 weeks was well tolerated and efficacious in HCV genotype-3-infected patients with compensated cirrhosis, with SVR12 outcomes comparable to previously reported outcomes in patients treated with this regimen for 12-16 weeks. ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT02673489.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fred Poordad
- The Texas Liver Institute, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Mitchell L Shiffman
- Bon Secours Liver Institute of Richmond, Bon Secours Health System of Virginia, Richmond, VA, USA
| | | | - Alexander Wong
- Regina General Hospital, University of Saskatchewan, Regina, SK, Canada
| | | | - Florence Wong
- Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alnoor Ramji
- Gastroenterology Division, St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Fiona McPhee
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, Wallingford, CT, USA
| | - Rong Yang
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, Wallingford, CT, USA
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11
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Zoratti MJ, Siddiqua A, Morassut RE, Zeraatkar D, Chou R, van Holten J, Xie F, Druyts E. Pangenotypic direct acting antivirals for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine 2020; 18:100237. [PMID: 31922124 PMCID: PMC6948236 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2019.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent approval and adoption of pangenotypic direct acting antivirals (DAAs) necessitated a revision of the 2015 World Health Organization guidelines for the management of persons with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. METHODS We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and relevant conference proceedings to identify randomized and non-randomized trials, as well as prospective observational studies of DAAs. The proportions of persons with events were pooled for sustained virological response at 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12), discontinuations due to adverse events (DAEs), serious adverse events (SAEs), and all-cause mortality. Analyses were stratified by HCV genotype and antiviral treatment experience, with subgroup analyses based on presence of cirrhosis and HIV-HCV coinfection. FINDINGS The evidence base consisted of 238 publications describing 142 studies. In the overall analysis, which included all persons irrespective of treatment experience or comorbidities, the pooled proportion achieving SVR12 exceeded 0.94 for all pangenotypic regimens across genotypes 1, 2, and 4. Some heterogeneity may have led to lower SVR rates in persons with genotype 3 infection. High SVR12 (>0.90) was observed in persons with genotype 1 infection with cirrhosis, though evidence varied and was limited for genotypes 2-4. Evidence was sparse for persons with HIV-HCV coinfection. All regimens were associated with small proportions of persons with DAEs, SAEs, or all-cause mortality. INTERPRETATION Based on this and other supporting evidence, the WHO issued updated guidelines with a conditional recommendation, based on moderate quality evidence, for the use of pangenotypic DAA regimens for persons with chronic HCV infection aged 18 years and older (July 2018). FUNDING This study was funded by the World Health Organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Zoratti
- Zoratti HEOR Consulting Inc., Oakville, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ayesha Siddiqua
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rita E. Morassut
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dena Zeraatkar
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Roger Chou
- Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Judith van Holten
- Department of HIV and Global Hepatitis Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Feng Xie
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eric Druyts
- Pharmalytics Group, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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12
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Abstract
Introduction: Unlike other hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes (GTs), patients infected with GT3 are associated with an increased risk of accelerated liver disease progression. Although early immuno-modulator therapies yielded moderate sustained virologic response (SVR) rates, treatment of GT3 patients has proven more challenging in the era of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Areas covered: The review provides an overview of the evolution of therapies against GT3 since the approval of the first immunomodulatory agent nearly 30 years ago. Expert opinion: A greater choice of treatment options is now available for HCV GT3-infected patients. In treatment-naïve patients with or without compensated cirrhosis, SVR rates are comparably high approaching 100% irrespective of treatment option. For treatment-experienced patients, choosing the right therapy is important, especially for those with advanced liver disease. For the few patients who fail with multiple persistent highly resistant DAA substitutions, retreatment options are limited. Additional real-world treatment comparisons are required to confirm differences in SVR in these more difficult-to-treat patients. This also includes patients infected with GT3 subtypes such as GT3b where multiple DAA-resistant substitutions occur naturally. In the absence of new drugs with non-overlapping drug-resistant profiles, an interferon-based therapy may still be beneficial in select patient populations with high-level multiple DAA-resistant substitutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona McPhee
- Translational Medicine, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company , Cambridge , MA , USA
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13
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McPhee F, Hernandez D, Zhou N, Ueland J, Yu F, Vellucci V, Huang X, Wang X, Ishikawa H, Karino Y, Kumada H. Pooled analysis of HCV genotype 1 resistance-associated substitutions in NS5A, NS3 and NS5B pre-and post-treatment with 12 weeks of daclatasvir, asunaprevir and beclabuvir. Antivir Ther 2019; 23:53-66. [PMID: 28594332 DOI: 10.3851/imp3177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Daclatasvir (DCV; non-structural [NS]5A inhibitor) plus asunaprevir (ASV; NS3 inhibitor) plus beclabuvir (BCV; non-nucleoside NS5B inhibitor) is an approved regimen for hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype (GT)-1 treatment in Japan. A comprehensive analysis of pre-treatment and treatment-emergent HCV resistance to this regimen ± ribavirin (RBV) was performed. METHODS Data were pooled from five Phase 2/3 studies of DCV+ASV+BCV±RBV given for 12 weeks to GT-1a- or GT-1b-infected patients. The prevalence and impact of pre-treatment resistance-associated substitutions (RAS) in NS5A, NS3, and NS5B on sustained virological response (SVR) was assessed, as were emergent RAS and their post-treatment persistence. RESULTS Baseline NS5A RAS (GT-1a: M28T, Q30H/L/R/S, L31M, Y93C/H; GT-1b: L31I/M, Y93C/H) were present in 5% (26/561) of GT-1a and 16% (85/537) of GT-1b sequences. SVR12 for GT-1b without RBV was 100% (82/82) with RAS and >99% (427/428) without RAS. For GT-1a, SVR12 without RAS was 97% (85/88) with RBV and 92% (410/447) without RBV; SVR12 with RAS was 100% (2/2) with RBV and 54% (13/24) without RBV. Baseline NS3 (at R155 or D168) and NS5B (at P495) RAS were rare (≤1%). Treatment-emergent NS5A RAS (mostly Q30E/H/K/R±Y93H/N) in GT-1a persisted 60 weeks post-treatment, while NS3 RAS (mostly R155K) and NS5B-P495L/S were no longer detected after 48 or 24 weeks, respectively. CONCLUSIONS DCV+ASV+BCV±RBV was highly efficacious in HCV GT-1 infection, including HCV GT-1b with NS5A RAS. The fitness of treatment-emergent RAS post-treatment was NS5A > NS3 > NS5B; NS3 and NS5B RAS were generally replaced by wild-type sequence within 48 weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona McPhee
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, Wallingford, CT, USA
| | - Dennis Hernandez
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, Wallingford, CT, USA
| | - Nannan Zhou
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, Wallingford, CT, USA
| | - Joseph Ueland
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, Wallingford, CT, USA
| | - Fei Yu
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, Wallingford, CT, USA
| | - Vincent Vellucci
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, Wallingford, CT, USA
| | - Xin Huang
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, Hopewell, NJ, USA
| | - Xuning Wang
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, Hopewell, NJ, USA
| | - Hiroki Ishikawa
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, Shinjuku, Japan
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14
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Lawitz E, Gane E, Feld JJ, Buti M, Foster GR, Rabinovitz M, Burnevich E, Katchman H, Tomasiewicz K, Lahser F, Jackson B, Shaughnessy M, Klopfer S, Yeh WW, Robertson MN, Hanna GJ, Barr E, Platt HL. Efficacy and safety of a two-drug direct-acting antiviral agent regimen ruzasvir 180 mg and uprifosbuvir 450 mg for 12 weeks in adults with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6. J Viral Hepat 2019; 26:1127-1138. [PMID: 31108015 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.13132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Ruzasvir (MK-8408, an NS5A inhibitor) and uprifosbuvir (MK-3682, a nonstructural protein 5B nucleotide inhibitor) are highly potent direct-acting antiviral agents for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. A phase III clinical trial evaluating the two-drug combination of ruzasvir 60 mg plus uprifosbuvir 450 mg suggested suboptimal efficacy in certain HCV genotypes (C-BREEZE 1; NCT02759315). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ruzasvir in combination with uprifosbuvir administered at a higher dose than that assessed in the earlier study (C-BREEZE 2: NCT02956629/Merck protocol PN041). Treatment-naïve or interferon (with or without ribavirin)-experienced participants with or without compensated cirrhosis were enrolled. All participants received ruzasvir 180 mg plus uprifosbuvir 450 mg once daily for 12 weeks. The primary objectives were the proportion of participants with HCV RNA <15 lU/mL at 12 weeks after the end of study therapy (SVR12), and safety and tolerability of the study drug. Overall, 282 participants were enrolled. SVR12 (n/N) was 91.3% (42/46) in participants infected with HCV genotype (GT) 1a; GT1b, 96.7% (29/30); GT2, 91.5% (43/47); GT3, 73.8% (45/61); GT4, 98.2% (55/56); GT5, 100.0% (18/18); and GT6, 90.9% (20/22). Adverse events (AEs) were reported by 61.3% of participants; drug-related AEs were reported by 33.3%. The most frequent (≥5% of participants) drug-related AEs in all participants were fatigue (7.8%) and headache (7.4%). In conclusion, the two-drug combination of ruzasvir 180 mg plus uprifosbuvir 450 mg for 12 weeks was highly effective and well tolerated in participants infected with HCV GT1, GT2, GT4, GT5 and GT6, with a lower efficacy in GT3-infected persons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Lawitz
- Texas Liver Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Edward Gane
- Auckland Clinical Studies, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jordan J Feld
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maria Buti
- Liver Unit Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Mordechai Rabinovitz
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Eduard Burnevich
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Eliav Barr
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey
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15
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Cuypers L, Thijssen M, Shakibzadeh A, Sabahi F, Ravanshad M, Pourkarim MR. Next-generation sequencing for the clinical management of hepatitis C virus infections: does one test fits all purposes? Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 2019; 56:420-434. [PMID: 31317801 DOI: 10.1080/10408363.2019.1637394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
While the prospect of viral cure is higher than ever for individuals infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) due to ground-breaking progress in antiviral treatment, success rates are still negatively influenced by HCV's high genetic variability. This genetic diversity is represented in the circulation of various genotypes and subtypes, mixed infections, recombinant forms and the presence of numerous drug resistant variants among infected individuals. Common misclassifications by commercial genotyping assays in combination with the limitations of currently used targeted population sequencing approaches have encouraged researchers to exploit alternative methods for the clinical management of HCV infections. Next-generation sequencing (NGS), a revolutionary and powerful tool with a variety of applications in clinical virology, can characterize viral diversity and depict viral dynamics in an ultra-wide and ultra-deep manner. The level of detail it provides makes it the method of choice for the diagnosis and clinical assessment of HCV infections. The sequence library provided by NGS is of a higher magnitude and sensitivity than data generated by conventional methods. Therefore, these technologies are helpful to guide clinical practice and at the same time highly valuable for epidemiological studies. The decreasing costs of NGS to determine genotypes, mixed infections, recombinant strains and drug resistant variants will soon make it feasible to employ NGS in clinical laboratories, to assist in the daily care of patients with HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lize Cuypers
- Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Marijn Thijssen
- Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Arash Shakibzadeh
- Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University , Tehran , Iran
| | - Farzaneh Sabahi
- Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University , Tehran , Iran
| | - Mehrdad Ravanshad
- Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University , Tehran , Iran
| | - Mahmoud Reza Pourkarim
- Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.,Health Policy Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences , Shiraz , Iran.,Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine , Tehran , Iran
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16
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Elimination of Viral Hepatitis and an Update on Blood Safety Technology. HEPATITIS MONTHLY 2018. [DOI: 10.5812/hepatmon.66577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
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17
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Morisco F, Granata R, Camera S, Ippolito A, Milella M, Conti F, Masetti C, Smedile A, Tundo P, Santantonio T, Valvano MR, Termite A, Gatti P, Messina V, Iacobellis A, Librandi M, Caporaso N, Andriulli A. Optimization of direct anti-viral agent treatment schedule: Focus on HCV genotype 3. United European Gastroenterol J 2018; 6:225-237. [PMID: 29511552 PMCID: PMC5833227 DOI: 10.1177/2050640617717158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Direct antiviral agents (DAAs) have led to high sustained virological responses (SVR) in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients. However, genotype 3 patients respond to treatment in a suboptimal way. This study aims to identify which of the several treatment schedules recommended for genotype 3 would constitute the best option. METHODS Twenty-four Italian centers were involved in this real-life study of HCV genotype 3 patients treated with DAAs. To expand the number of cases, we conducted a systematic review of the literature on the outcome of genotype 3 patients treated with DAAs. RESULTS A total of 233 patients with HCV genotype 3 were enrolled. Cirrhotic patients accounted for 83.7%. Overall, the SVR12 rate was achieved by 205 patients (88.0%); the SVR rates were 78.8% after sofosbuvir/ribavirin, 92.5% after sofosbuvir/daclatasvir ± ribavirin, and 100% after sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (seven patients). No difference in rate of SVR was observed in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients (92.2 vs 94.4) using a combination regimen of NS5A and NS5B inhibitors.The systematic review of the literature provided data of 3311 patients: The mean weighted SVR12 rate was 84.4% (CI: 80.4-87.8); the rates varied from 79.0% (CI: 70.9-85.3) with sofosbuvir/ribavirin, to 83.7% (CI: 66.2-93.1) with sofosbuvir/ledispavir, and to 88.2% (CI: 83.3-91.7) with sofosbuvir/daclatasvir. CONCLUSIONS Our results reinforce the concept that patients with HCV genotype 3 should no longer be considered difficult-to-treat individuals. The optimal therapeutic regimen for these patients appears to be the combination sofosbuvir/daclatasvir, administered for 12 weeks without the use of RBV in non-cirrhotic patients. In cirrhotics the meta-analytic approach suggests extending therapy to 24 weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filomena Morisco
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, “Federico II” University, Napoli, Italy
| | - Rocco Granata
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, “Federico II” University, Napoli, Italy
| | - Silvia Camera
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, “Federico II” University, Napoli, Italy
| | - Antonio Ippolito
- Division of Gastroenterology, “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza” Hospital, IRCCS, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Conti
- Centre for the Study of Hepatitis, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Chiara Masetti
- Hepatology and Liver Transplantation Unit, University of Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Tundo
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital of Galatina, Italy
| | | | - Maria Rosa Valvano
- Division of Gastroenterology, “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza” Hospital, IRCCS, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | | | | | - Vincenzo Messina
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, S. Anna and S. Sebastiano Hospital, Caserta, Italy
| | - Angelo Iacobellis
- Division of Gastroenterology, “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza” Hospital, IRCCS, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Marta Librandi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, “La Sapienza” University, Roma, Italy
| | - Nicola Caporaso
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, “Federico II” University, Napoli, Italy
| | - Angelo Andriulli
- Division of Gastroenterology, “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza” Hospital, IRCCS, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
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18
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Milazzo L, Magni C, Niero F, Schiavini M, Lai A, Cento V, Binda F, Antinori S, Sollima S. Short article: Retreatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection after unsuccessful therapy with all-oral direct-acting antiviral regimens: a real-life experience. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2017; 29:1231-1234. [PMID: 28877086 DOI: 10.1097/meg.0000000000000965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Few real-life data are available on the retreatment of patients who failed direct-acting antiviral (DAA)-regimens. We reported the outcome of retreatment with approved DAA regimens in a real-life cohort of patients who previously failed an all-oral DAAs combination and we analyzed the association with resistance substitutions (RASs) performed at the time of virological failure. AIM AND METHODS Next-generation sequencing of the NS3, NS5A, and NS5B regions was performed by Illumina deep sequencing. The sequence reads were analyzed by an in-house pipeline. RESULTS Of the 16/759 (2%) patients who failed to achieve a sustained virological response at 12 weeks to all-oral DAAs from December 2014 to January 2016, 10 were retreated with licensed DAAs regimens. In all the patients, retreatment was followed by sustained virological response at 12 weeks. Baseline NS3-RASs before retreatment were observed in two patients who failed a sofosbuvir/simeprevir regimen: D168V RAS was detected in a genotype-4 patient, whereas the complex RAS-pattern Q80K, I170V, R155K, D168E was observed in a genotype-1a patient. Only one of the two patients who previously failed ombitasvir, paritaprevir/ritonavir, and dasabuvir underwent RAS analysis at relapse and showed baseline NS5A RAS (M28V) before retreatment. CONCLUSION These real-life findings indicated a high efficacy of sofosbuvir+NS5A-inihbitors in retreating NS3-experienced patients and also NS5A-experienced patients by using a 24-week course ribavirin-containing regimen. The relevance of hepatitis C virus resistance testing before retreatment remains to be better defined to guide the choice of the new regimen before retreatment in DAA-experienced patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Milazzo
- aDepartment of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences L. Sacco, University of Milan bFirst Division of Infectious Diseases, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milan cDepartment of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
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19
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Characterization of Naturally Occurring NS5A and NS5B Polymorphisms in Patients Infected with HCV Genotype 3a Treated with Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents. Viruses 2017; 9:v9080212. [PMID: 28783119 PMCID: PMC5580469 DOI: 10.3390/v9080212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype (GT)3 is associated with increased risk of steatosis, development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Limited data are available regarding genetic variability and use of direct-acting antiviral agents in these patients. non-structural protein 5A (NS5A) and non-structural protein 5B (NS5B) sequencing was performed on 45 HCV GT3-infected Italian patients subsequently treated with sofosbuvir ± daclatasvir (SOF ± DCV). Novel GT3a polymorphisms were observed by Sanger sequencing in three NS5A (T79S, T107K, and T107S) and three NS5B (G166R, Q180K, and C274W) baseline sequences in patients who achieved sustained virological response (SVR). Baseline NS5A resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) A30K and Y93H were detected in 9.5% of patients; one patient with A30K did not achieve SVR. Phylogenetic analyses of sequences showed no distinct clustering. Genetic heterogeneity of NS5A and NS5B was evaluated using ultra-deep pyrosequencing (UDPS) in samples longitudinally collected in patients not achieving SVR. Some novel NS5A and NS5B polymorphisms detected at baseline may not impact treatment outcome, as they were not enriched in post-failure samples. In contrast, the clinically novel GT3 NS5A-L31F RAS emerged in one treatment failure, and I184T, G188D and N310S, located on the same NS5B haplotype, became predominant after failure. These findings suggest a potential impact of these novel substitutions on the treatment outcome; however, their significance requires further investigation.
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