Hepatitis B precore/core promoter mutations in isolates from HBV-monoinfected and HBV-HIV coinfected patients: a 3-yr prospective study.
BACKGROUND
The course of chronic HBV infection is modified by HIV-coexistence.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the role of HBV genomic heterogeneity in basal core promoter (BCP) and precore (Pc) genomic regions.


METHODS
In a 3-yr prospective study, 39 HBV infected patients (20 monoinfected and 19 HIV-coinfected) were included. Eighty-two HBV isolates were studied at quasispecies level in the BCP/Pc genomic region. Clinical records obtained include data on lamivudine therapy and resistance mutations, HBV and HIV-viral load.


RESULTS
HBV isolates were predominantly ascribed to genotype (Gt) A2 among HBV-monoinfected and HIV-coinfected patients. BCP mutations in isolates from monoinfected patients were significantly more frequent than in those from coinfected ones, irrespective of the HBe expression pattern (p<0.0001). Regardless of the HIV-coexistence, the Pc mutation at G1896A only barely appeared among clone-derived sequences of GtF1 isolates, mainly from HBe(-) HBV-monoinfected patients.


CONCLUSIONS
HBV isolates characterized from HIV-coinfected patients seem to be more prone to exhibit a wild type genomic pattern at BCP regulatory region with respect to those from HBV-monoinfected ones. Besides, mutations at Pc region might be genotype-dependent in their frequency but not on HIV co-presence related.
Centro Nacional de Referencia para el SIDA, Dto. Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Lucila
L
Cassino
Natalia
N
Laufer
Horacio
H
Salomon
Rodolfo
R
Campos
Jorge
J
Quarleri
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006678:HIV; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011446:Prospective Studies