Phylogenetic Diversity in Core Region of Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1a as a Factor Associated with Fibrosis Severity in HIV-1-Coinfected Patients

الملخص EN

High hepatitis C virus (HCV) genetic diversity impacts infectivity/pathogenicity, influencing chronic liver disease progression associated with fibrosis degrees and hepatocellular carcinoma.

HCV core protein is crucial in cell-growth regulation and host-gene expression.

Liver fibrosis is accelerated by unknown mechanisms in human immunodeficiency virus-1- (HIV-1-) coinfected individuals.

We aimed to study whether well-defined HCV-1a core polymorphisms and genetic heterogeneity are related to fibrosis in a highly homogeneous group of interferon-treated HIV-HCV-coinfected patients.

Genetic heterogeneity was weighed by Faith’s phylogenetic diversity (PD), which has been little studied in HCV.

Eighteen HCV/HIV-coinfected patients presenting different liver fibrosis stages before anti-HCV treatment-initiation were recruited.

Sampling at baseline and during and after treatment was performed up to 72 weeks.

At inter/intrahost level, HCV-1a populations were studied using molecular cloning and Sanger sequencing.

Over 400 complete HCV-1a core sequences encompassing 573 positions of C were obtained.

Amino acid substitutions found previously at positions 70 and 91 of HCV-1b core region were not observed.

However, HCV genetic heterogeneity was higher in mild than in severe fibrosis cases.

These results suggest a potential utility of PD as a virus-related factor associated with chronic hepatitis C progression.

These observations should be reassessed in larger cohorts to corroborate our findings and assess other potential covariates.