title: Role of genotype G hepatitis B virus mixed infection on the progression of hepatic fibrosis in HIV positive patients over 5 years of follow-up.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Due to common routes of transmission, HIV and HBV are frequently found as concomitant infections. The dynamic of liver disease in co-infected patients is important to understand for appropriate clinical management. Conflicting data surround the role played by genotype-G HBV (HBV-G) during the course of HIV co-infection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to assess, using non-invasive methods, liver disease progression in HIV-HBV genotype-G co-infected patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Co-infected patients with residual HBV replication (n=125) were screened for HBV-G infection by specific real-time PCR. The impact of HBV-G on liver fibrosis progression, as assessed by a non invasive biomarker (Fibrotest), was evaluated first, by a cross sectional analysis comparing fibrosis between HBV-G (n=23) and non-G (n=55) infected patients and second, by a longitudinal study performed over a 5 year period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Selected patients were mostly male (90%), with homogenous characteristics between the HBV-G and non-G infected groups, in terms of age, known duration of HIV disease, immune and virological status and duration of HIV/HBV treatment. HBV-G infected patients were exclusively from Western Europe with homosexual intercourses (83%) as principal risk of transmission. Cross sectional analysis revealed comparable liver disease severity distribution between HBV-G and non-G infected patients. Co-infection with other hepatitis viruses and low CD4-nadir, but not HBV-G co-infection, were associated with a 5-year risk of fibrosis progression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that HBV-G infection is not significantly associated with a more severe liver disease and does not have a deleterious impact on fibrosis progression in efficiently treated HIV-HBV co-infected patients.
authors: AP-HP, Service des Maladies Infectieuses, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors: Ruxandra
authors: R
authors: Calin
authors: Marguerite
authors: M
authors: Guiguet
authors: Nathalie
authors: N
authors: Desire
authors: Françoise
authors: F
authors: Imbert-Bismut
authors: Mona
authors: M
authors: Munteanu
authors: Thierry
authors: T
authors: Poynard
authors: Marc Antoine
authors: MA
authors: Valantin
authors: Hind
authors: H
authors: Stitou
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Katlama
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Thibault
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D060085:Coinfection / Q000150:complications*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
keywords: HBV–HIV co-infection; Men having sex with men; Non-invasive biomarker; Real-time PCR; Risk factor