Project description:BackgroundLittle is known about the influence of ongoing barriers to care in the persistence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) viremia after treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH).MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of PLWH treated through the standard of care in 3 Western countries, to investigate the predictors of HCV treatment failure (clinical or virologic), defined as having a detectable serum HCV ribonucleic acid within 12 weeks after DAA discontinuation. In addition to HCV and liver-related predictors, we collected data on ongoing illicit drug use, alcohol abuse, mental illness, and unstable housing. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of HCV treatment failure.ResultsBetween January 2014 and December 2017, 784 PLWH were treated with DAA, 7% (n = 55) of whom failed HCV therapy: 50.9% (n = 28) had a clinical failure (discontinued DAA therapy prematurely, died, or were lost to follow-up), 47.3% (n = 26) had an HCV virologic failure, and 1 (1.8%) was reinfected with HCV. Ongoing drug use (odds ratio [OR] = 2.60) and mental illness (OR = 2.85) were independent predictors of any HCV treatment failure. Having both present explained 20% of the risk of any HCV treatment failure due to their interaction (OR = 7.47; P < .0001). Predictors of HCV virologic failure were ongoing illicit drug use (OR = 2.75) and advanced liver fibrosis (OR = 2.29).ConclusionsPeople living with human immunodeficiency virus with ongoing illicit drug use, mental illness, and advanced liver fibrosis might benefit from enhanced DAA treatment strategies to reduce the risk of HCV treatment failure.
Project description:We report on the use of the faecal egg count reduction test to evaluate the performance of ivermectin in treating gastrointestinal nematode infections in first grazing season (FGS) calves on four dairy farms in Co. Kilkenny, Ireland. On each farm, FGS calves were injected subcutaneously with ivermectin in accordance with their live weight (day 0). Calves were individually faecal sampled on both day 0 and day 14. Faecal egg counts were determined using the Mini-FLOTAC technique. Composite faecal cultures for each farm were performed on each sampling occasion. The faecal egg count reductions (mode) ranged from 17.3-80.2% with the lower 95% confidence limit ranging from 3.1-72.3% on the four farms, respectively. Ivermectin-resistant nematodes were detected on all farms, with evidence of Ostertagia resistance on one farm. This study highlights the urgent need for Irish producers to reappraise their parasite control practices.
Project description:BackgroundSEN virus (SENV) is the latest virus proposed as a cause of unknown hepatitis cases. Among nine detected genotypes of the virus, genotypes D and H are more frequent in hepatitis cases of unknown origin. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of SENV-D and SENV-H genotypes in the sera of healthy individuals and hepatitis B and C patients.MethodsTotally, 200 serum samples from healthy individuals as well as 50 hepatitis B and 50 hepatitis C patients were collected. Anti-HCV (hepatitis C virus), anti-human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-HBV (hepatitis B virus) core antigen were detected, and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured. Viral DNA was subjected to nested PCR. Fisher's exact and unpaired ANOVA tests were used for statistical analyses.ResultsSENV was detected in 90%, 66%, and 46% of the healthy individuals HBV and HCV-positive individuals, respectively. The frequency of SENV and its two genotypes were significantly lower in hepatitis B and hepatitis C patients (P<0.01). Also, the frequency of SENV-H was higher than SENV-D in all studied groups. In SENV-positive HBV patients, the level of ALT and AST enzymes were significantly less than SENV-negative patients (P<0.05). It was the same for SENV-H-negative and -positive cases.ConclusionsThe levels of liver enzymes were significantly lower in HBV patients co-infected with SENV compared to HBV patients (P<0.05), indicating a positive impact of the virus in liver pathology by decreasing liver damage and thus decreasing the liver enzymes.
Project description:BackgroundHistorically, acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was treated with shorter durations of interferon-containing therapies. In the era of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), it is unclear whether the efficacy of treatment achieved in chronic infection can be maintained with abbreviated courses of therapy during the acute phase.MethodsThe sofosbuvir-containing regimens without interferon for treatment of acute HCV in HIV-1 infected individuals (SWIFT-C) is an open-label, 2-cohort clinical trial in which the first cohort assessed for the safety and efficacy of 12 weeks of sofosbuvir plus ribavirin for the treatment of acute HCV infection in participants with chronic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. This is a preplanned analysis of the first cohort, which had a planned accrual of 17 participants.ResultsSeventeen men (11 Hispanic, 6 white, median age 45 years) were enrolled. Most (88%) had HCV genotype-1 infection and few (24%) had the favorable IL28B CC genotype. Median baseline HCV RNA was 2 280 000 IU/mL (interquartile range, 272 000-4 230 000). Ten participants (59%) achieved the primary outcome of SVR12 (90% confidence interval, 36%-78%), failing to establish noninferiority. All treatment failures were due to viral relapse (41%). There were no premature treatment discontinuations. The only factor that differed between participants who achieved SVR vs those who relapsed was ribavirin concentration at the end of treatment.ConclusionSofosbuvir-ribavirin for 12 weeks for the treatment of acute HCV genotype-1 infection in HIV-1-infected persons results in a high relapse rate. Preliminary studies of DAA combination therapies suggest improved response rates, although the adequate duration of therapy remains unclear.Clinical trials registrationNCT02128217.
Project description:ObjectiveGlycosylation plays a critical role in mediating several antibody (mainly immunoglobulin G; IgG) immunological functions, including antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), and anti-inflammatory activities. We investigated whether IgG glycosylation and immune profile patterns are differentially modulated in mono and dual infection using samples from untreated hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected individuals with and without co-infection with antiretroviral therapy (ART)-suppressed HIV.DesignIgG glycosylation, immune subsets, natural killer cell function, and liver enzymes were assessed in 14 HCV mono-infected and 27 ART-suppressed HIV/HCV co-infected participants naïve to HCV treatment. Historic IgG glycosylation data from 23 ART-suppressed chronically HIV-infected individuals were also used for comparisons.MethodsPlasma IgG glycosylation was assessed using capillary electrophoresis. Whole blood was used for immune subset characterization by flow cytometry. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were used to measure constitutive and interferon-α-induced K562 target cell lysis. Statistical analysis was performed using R (3.5.0).ResultsHIV/HCV had lower levels of pro-ADCC-associated nonfucosylated glycans when compared with HIV [e.g. di-sialylated A2 percentage (%): P = 0.04], and higher levels of T and myeloid cell activation/exhaustion when compared with HCV (e.g. CD3CD8CD38 %: P < 0.001). Finally, in HCV high levels of the anti-inflammatory galactosylated and sialylated glycans were associated with low plasma levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), low CD8 T-cell activation, and high CD8 T-cell exhaustion.ConclusionHCV modulates IgG glycosylation profile in HIV co-infected individuals on suppressive ART. These results could inform on the modulation of IgG glycans in other mono and dual infections.
Project description:Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are hyperendemic in sub-Saharan Africa. The HBV genotypes prevailing in HIV-infected Africans are unknown. Our aim was to determine the HBV genotypes in HIV-infected participants and to identify clinically significant HBV mutations. From 71 HBV DNA(+ve) HIV-infected participants, 49 basic core promoter/precore (BCP/PC) and 29 complete S regions were successfully sequenced. Following phylogenetic analysis of 29 specimens in the complete S region, 28 belonged to subgenotype A1 and one to D3. Mutations affecting HBeAg expression at the transcriptional (1762T1764A), translational (Kozak 1809-1812, initiation 1814-1816, G1896A with C1858T), or post translational levels (G1862T), were responsible for the high HBeAg-negativity observed. The G1862T mutation occurred only in subgenotype A1 isolates, which were found in one third (7/21) of HBsAg(-ve) participants, but in none of the 18 HBsAg(+ve) participants (p<0.05). Pre-S deletion mutants were detected in four HBsAg(+ve) and one HBsAg(-ve) participant/s. The following mutations occurred significantly more frequently in HBV isolated in this study than in strains of the same cluster of the phylogenetic tree: ps1F25L, ps1V88L/A; ps2Q10R, ps2 R48K/T, ps2A53V and sQ129R/H, sQ164A/V/G/D, sV168A and sS174N (p<0.05). ps1I48V/T occurred more frequently in females than males (p<0.05). Isolates with sV168A occurred more frequently in participants with viral loads >200 IU per ml (p<0.05) and only sS174N occurred more frequently in HBsAg(-ve) than in HBsAg(+ve) individuals (p<0.05). Prior to initiation of ART, ten percent, 3 of 29 isolates sequenced, had drug resistance mutations rtV173L, rtL180M+rtM204V and rtV214A, respectively. This study has provided important information on the molecular characteristics of HBV in HIV-infected southern Africans prior to ART initiation, which has important clinical relevance in the management of HBV/HIV co-infection in our unique setting.
Project description:We examined whether prediagnostic John Cunningham virus (JCV) antibodies and viremia are predictors of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in 83 PML cases and 240 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease-matched controls. JCV viremia was not predictive of PML, but some patients showed higher anti-JCV immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses 6 months prior to diagnosis.
Project description:The use of telaprevir and boceprevir, both protease inhibitors (PI), as part of the specifically targeted antiviral therapy for hepatitis C (STAT-C) has significantly improved sustained virologic response (SVR) rates. However, different clinical studies have also identified several mutations associated with viral resistance to both PIs. In the absence of selective pressure, drug-resistant hepatitis C virus (HCV) mutants are generally present at low frequency, making mutation detection challenging. Here, we describe a mismatch amplification mutation assay (MAMA) PCR method for the specific detection of naturally occurring drug-resistant HCV mutants. MAMA PCR successfully identified the corresponding HCV variants, while conventional methods such as direct sequencing, endpoint limiting dilution (EPLD), and bacterial cloning were not sensitive enough to detect circulating drug-resistant mutants in clinical specimens. Ultradeep pyrosequencing was used to confirm the presence of the corresponding HCV mutants. In treatment-naïve patients, the frequency of all resistant variants was below 1%. Deep amplicon sequencing allowed a detailed analysis of the structure of the viral population among these patients, showing that the evolution of the NS3 is limited to a rather small sequence space. Monitoring of HCV drug resistance before and during treatment is likely to provide important information for management of patients undergoing anti-HCV therapy.
Project description:OBJECTIVE: The number of patients with HCV-related cirrhosis is increasing, leading to a rising risk of complications and death. Prognostic stratification in patients with early-stage cirrhosis is still challenging. We aimed to develop and validate a clinically useful prognostic index based on genomic and clinical variables to identify patients at high risk of disease progression. DESIGN: We developed a prognostic index, comprised of a 186-gene signature validated in our previous genome-wide profiling study, bilirubin (>1 mg/dL) and platelet count (<100 000/mm3), in an Italian HCV cirrhosis cohort (training cohort, n=216, median follow-up 10 years). The gene signature test was implemented using a digital transcript counting (nCounter) assay specifically developed for clinical use and the prognostic index was evaluated using archived specimens from an independent cohort of HCV-related cirrhosis in the USA (validation cohort, n=145, median follow-up 8 years). RESULTS: In the training cohort, the prognostic index was associated with hepatic decompensation (HR=2.71, p=0.003), overall death (HR=6.00, p<0.001), hepatocellular carcinoma (HR=3.31, p=0.001) and progression of Child-Turcotte-Pugh class (HR=6.70, p<0.001). The patients in the validation cohort were stratified into high-risk (16%), intermediate-risk (42%) or low-risk (42%) groups by the prognostic index. The high-risk group had a significantly increased risk of hepatic decompensation (HR=7.36, p<0.001), overall death (HR=3.57, p=0.002), liver-related death (HR=6.49, p<0.001) and all liver-related adverse events (HR=4.98, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A genomic and clinical prognostic index readily available for clinical use was successfully validated, warranting further clinical evaluation for prognostic prediction and clinical trial stratification and enrichment for preventive interventions.
Project description:The genome-wide association studies have identified a strong association between interleukin 28B (IL28B) gene polymorphisms and the response to treatment in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between three most widely studied IL28B gene polymorphisms and the response to antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis C. We performed the genotyping of the three IL28B gene polymorphisms: rs12979860, rs8099917, and rs12980275 in 72 Caucasian patients with chronic hepatitis C, previously treated with the combination therapy of pegylated interferon alpha (PEGIFN α) and ribavirin (RBV). The patients included in the study had finished the treatment regimen at least 6 months before enrolling in the study. We used the sustained viral response (SVR) for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the antiviral treatment, and it was tested with an assay with a sensitivity of 20 IU/mL. An SVR was achieved in 59.7% (43/72) of the treated patients. The three IL28B gene polymorphisms (CC genotype of rs12979860, TT genotype of rs8099917, and AA genotype of rs12980275) were associated with the SVR (p=0.029, p=0.016, and p=0.028, respectively) in the study patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with the combination therapy of PEGIFN α and RBV. The association of IL28B gene polymorphisms with the treatment response points to the possibility of personalized medicine for the treatment of HCV infection.