Evidence of distinct populations of hepatitis C virus in the liver and plasma of patients co-infected with HIV and HCV.

ABSTRACT: Viral diversity is an important predictor of hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment response and may influence viral pathogenesis. HIV influences HCV variability in the plasma; however, limited data on viral variability are available from distinct tissue/cell compartments in patients co-infected with HIV and HCV. Thus, this exploratory study evaluated diversity of the hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of HCV in the plasma and liver for 14 patients co-infected with HIV and HCV. Median intra-patient genetic distances and entropy values were similar in the plasma and liver compartments. Positive immune selection pressure was observed in the plasma for five individuals and in the liver for three individuals. Statistical evidence supporting viral compartmentalization was found in five individuals. Linea

SUBMITTER: Blackard JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4562016 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature