title: Higher dN/dS ratios in the HCV core gene, but not in the E1/HVR1 gene, are associated with human immunodeficiency virus-associated immunosuppression.
abstract: Coinfection with HCV and HIV is prevalent among former commercial blood donors in some rural areas in China. Genetic variability of the HCV core and E1/HVR1 was investigated in 23 patients chronically infected with HCV-1b, with or without concomitant HIV infection. Genetic variability in the core sequence was higher under HIV-associated immunocompromised conditions. Both the Shannon entropy values at each nucleotide position and the dN/dS values at each codon were statistically higher in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with lower CD4+ T cell counts (p-values were <0.0001 and equal to 0.0372, respectively). The more significant difference of dN/dS value occurred in a specific subregion of the core gene that is enriched in CTL/Th epitopes (p = 0.0083). The dN/dS values of full-length core antigen were found to be negatively correlated with the S/CO ratio of plasma anti-HCV antibodies. By contrast, no significant difference in genetic diversity/complexity and dN/dS values in the E1/HVR1 region was found between those two groups. These results suggest that the dN/dS ratio in the core gene, but not in the E1/HVR1 gene, is influenced more by host CD4+ T cell-mediated cellular immunity.
authors: Department of Microbiology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
authors: Chun-Hui
authors: CH
authors: Xu
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Shen
authors: Jia-Jia
authors: JJ
authors: Zheng
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Tu
authors: Wei-Dong
authors: WD
authors: Zhang
authors: Feng-Min
authors: FM
authors: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002681:China; D060085:Coinfection / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C087035:E1 protein, Hepatitis C virus; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus