Genetic characteristics of human pegivirus-1 (HPgV-1) in HIV-1-infected MSM in Zhuhai and the influence of HPgV-1 genotypes on the course of AIDS / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To analyze the prevalence and genotypes of human pegivirus-1 (HPgV-1) among HIV-1-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) in Zhuhai, aiming to elucidate the impact of HPgV-1 on the progression of AIDS.Methods:This study collected 934 serum specimens positive for antibodies against HIV-1 for viral RNA extraction from MSM in Zhuhai from 2012 to 2020. HPgV-1 5′UTR was amplified by nested PCR and then E gene was amplified by nested PCR and sequenced in the 5′UTR-positive specimens. A phylogenetic tree was constructed to analyze genotype distribution. The influence of HPgV-1 infection on the progression of AIDS was evaluated through analyzing HIV-1 viral load and CD4 + cell counts in patients in the early stage of AIDS before antiviral treatment. Results:The positive rate of HPgV-1 in MSM with HIV-1 infection in Zhuhai was 31.05%. A total of 273 valid sequences were obtained after amplification. The main genotype of HPgV-1 was G3 (252, 92.31%), which was highly homologous to the epidemic strains in China and Japan in recent years, followed G2 (21, 7.69%), which was highly homologous to the epidemic strains in France and America. HPgV-1 strains of G1, G4, G5, G6 and G7 genotypes were not detected. There was no significant difference in HIV-1 virus load or CD4 + cell counts between patients with HIV-1 infection alone and those with HIV-1 and HPgV-1 (G3 or G2 genotype) co-infection. Conclusions:According to the data of this study, HPgV-1 infection could not delay the progression of AIDS in MSM in the early stage of AIDS before antiviral therapy. The widespread HPgV-1 of G3 genotype in China did not have a significant impact on the progression of AIDS. Therefore, a systematic in-depth research on various genotypes of HPgV-1 and further study on the pathogenic mechanism of HPgV-1, especially in patients with HPgV-1 and HIV co-infection, were needed to understanding the interaction mechanism between different genotypes of HPgV-1 and HIV-1.