Hepatitis C virus genetic variability in 52 human immunodeficiency virus-coinfected patients.
The aim of this study was to examine whether hepatitis C virus (HCV) pretreatment quasispecies complexity was linked to virological response or other clinical and biological parameters, in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-coinfected patients undergoing anti-HCV treatment. In addition, HCV quasispecies composition is described longitudinally in these patients before, during, and after treatment. The 52 HIV-coinfected patients were included in a randomized therapeutic trial. At inclusion, they had CD4(+) counts of >250/micro l, HIV plasma load of <10,000 copies/ml, and chronic HCV infection with genotype 1 (n = 27), 2 (n = 2) or 3 (n = 23). These values were compared at baseline with 32 HCV-only-infected, interferon-naive patients who were infected with genotype 1, 2, or 3 (n = 16, 1, or 15, respectively). HCV complexity was studied by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) in E2 hypervariable region 1 (HVR1), and diversity was evaluated at inclusion in 20 coinfected patients by sequencing four major SSCP bands. The baseline number of SSCP bands was identical in HIV-infected and control patients. In HIV-infected patients, HCV complexity was not predictive of sustained virological response to anti-HCV treatment and was unrelated to epidemiological factors, immunological parameters linked to HIV infection (CD4(+) counts, T CD4(+) proliferative responses to HIV-1 p24), protease inhibitor treatment, HCV plasma load, or genotype. HCV diversity was lower in genotype 2- and 3-infected patients. Six months after completion of the anti-HCV treatment, in comparison with baseline, SSCP profiles were modified in 13 of the 21 nonresponding coinfected patients with analyzable samples. In conclusion, in HIV-infected patients, HCV variability had no significant influence on virological response to anti-HCV treatment.
Neau
Didier
D
Virology Laboratory, University of Victor Segalen, Bordeaux, France. didier.neau@chu-bordeaux.fr
Jouvencel
Anne-Christine
AC
Legrand
Elisabeth
E
Trimoulet
Pascale
P
Galperine
Tatiana
T
Chitty
Isabelle
I
Ventura
Michel
M
Le Bail
Brigitte
B
Morlat
Philippe
P
Lacut
Jean-Yves
JY
Ragnaud
Jean-Marie
JM
Dupon
Michel
M
Fleury
Hervé
H
Lafon
Marie-Edith
ME
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational