Molecular Transmission Network and Drug Resistance in Treatment-Naive HIV-1-Infected Patients in the Liangshan District, China.

This study aimed to investigate the molecular transmission network and drug resistance in treatment-naive HIV-1-infected patients in the Liangshan District, China. The research subjects for this study were HIV-1-infected patients who did not receive any antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the Liangshan District between January 2022 and July 2023. Peripheral venous whole-blood samples were collected from the research subjects. Two milliliters of blood was used for CD4+ T lymphocyte counting detection. Ten milliliters of blood was centrifuged to separate the plasma and blood cells for quantitative detection of HIV-1 RNA and DNA and drug resistance testing of HIV-1. A total of 156 participants were included in this study (88 males and 68 females). The median age of the participants was 37 years. The findings revealed a positive correlation between the HIV-1 DNA and the HIV-1 RNA levels (r = 0.478, p < 0.001). However, a negative correlation was observed between the HIV-1 DNA levels and CD4+ T lymphocyte counts (r = -0.186, p = 0.020). Of the 156 participants, 145 were successfully tested for drug resistance of HIV-1 RNA and HIV-1 DNA simultaneously. Four cases failed the HIV-1 RNA drug resistance testing, and another two failed the HIV-1 DNA drug resistance testing. The most common HIV-1 subtype was the CRF07_BC recombinant. In this study, the overall incidence of transmitted drug resistance (TDR) was 8.33%. The resistance rates of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) and protease inhibitor (PI) were 7.69% and 0.64%, respectively. In addition, 32 participants were found to have drug-resistant mutations. The primary drug-resistant mutations were K103N, V179D, E157Q, and A128T, mainly against efavirenz (EFV) and nevirapine (NVP) resistance. The drug resistance of HIV-1-infected ART-naive patients in the Liangshan District cannot be ignored. HIV-1 drug resistance testing is recommended before initiating ART.

HCV Genotype Distribution and Clinical Characteristics of HCV Mono-Infected and HCV/HIV Co-Infected Patients in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China.

Objective: The present study aimed to characterize the genotype distribution and clinical characteristics of HCV monoinfected and HCV/HIV coinfected patients in the Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. Methods: All the patients were divided into HCV monoinfection and HCV/HIV coinfection groups according to whether they were complicated with HIV infection. The data from the two groups were collected. Results: In this study, HCV genotype 3 was the most common genotype in both groups, while HCV genotype 6 was significantly higher in the coinfection group than in the monoinfection group (p = 0.046). The white blood cell count, total bilirubin level, and HCV RNA were significantly higher in the HCV monoinfection group than that in the HCV/HIV coinfection group (p = 0.031; p < 0.001; p = 0.027, respectively). Conclusion: HCV prevalence was high in HIV-positive patients in the Liangshan Prefecture. Thus, incorporating screening and management of HCV monoinfection and HCV/HIV coinfection is needed in local region programs.

HIV-1 RNA and DNA Genotyping Drug Resistance Detection in Patients with Low-Level Viremia in Liangshan, China.

In this study, we characterized HIV-1 RNA and HIV-1 DNA genotyping drug resistance detection in patients with low-level viremia (LLV) in Liangshan, China. Whole blood samples were collected from HIV/AIDS patients who had received antiretroviral therapy (ART) for ≥6 months and whose HIV-1 RNA loads were 50-1,000 copies/mL for two consecutive times at least 1-month apart. The patients were enrolled from a county in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, between May 2021 and May 2022. Plasma and blood cells were separated. Plasma samples were tested for HIV-1 RNA genotyping drug resistance, while blood cell samples were tested for HIV-1 DNA genotyping drug resistance. Then, HIV-1 RNA and HIV-1 DNA genotyping drug resistance outcomes were compared. Among the 32 participants, 16 were males, while 16 were females, with the median age of 34.5 years. The main HIV-1 infection route was heterosexual transmission. The median ART duration was 3.9 years. Two types of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) + one non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) were the main antiviral therapeutic options. Pol region genes for 28 HIV-1 DNA samples and 10 HIV-1 RNA samples were successfully amplified. The success rate of pol region gene amplification for HIV-1 DNA was significantly higher than that of HIV-1 RNA (χ2 = 20.988, p < .05). In HIV-1 RNA and HIV-1 DNA samples, M184 (4/8) and K103 (3/8) were the most frequent drug resistance mutation sites. Among the NNRTIs, the rates of drug resistance were highest to efavirenz (EFV) (6/8) and nevirapine (NVP) (6/8), while among the NRTIs, the rates of drug resistance were highest to abacavir (ABC) (4/8), emtricitabine (FTC) (4/8), and lamivudine (3TC) (4/8). In conclusion, detection of HIV-1 RNA genotyping drug resistance combined with HIV-1 DNA genotyping drug resistance can improve the success rate of drug resistance detection in patients with LLV.

High Rate of Detection of Human ESPL1-HBV S Fusion Gene in Patients With HBV-related Liver Cancer: A Chinese Case-Control Study.

AIM: It has been shown that the integration of hepatitis B virus (HBV) gene into the host genome is a high-risk factor for development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the relationship between HBV S-integrated human extra spindle pole bodies-like 1 (ESPL1) gene and HCC is unknown. This study was designed to detect HBV S-integrated human ESPL1 fusion gene in patients with HCC for potentially using this fusion gene as a biomarker for HCC diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nineteen and 70 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) were recruited to the experimental and control groups, respectively, and both groups underwent an effective nucleoside/nucleotide analog therapy and follow-up for HCC occurrence for up to 11 years. HCC tissues were obtained by surgical resection from the experimental group, while liver tissues were collected by liver biopsy in the control group prior to treatment with nucleoside/nucleotide analogs. Alu polymerase chain reaction was used to assess HBV S gene integration in the liver tissues from both groups. HBV S-integrated human ESPL1 fusion gene was then detected in patients with HBV S gene integration using a gene database. RESULTS: All patients in the experimental group developed HCC, whereas no HCC was diagnosed in the control group. HBV S gene integration was identified in 12 out of 19 HCC tissues in the experimental group, giving a detection rate of 63.2%, which was significantly greater than that of 15.7% (11/70) in the control group (p<0.001). We further showed that HBV S-integrated human ESPL1 fusion gene was detected in eight patients (rate of 66.7%) among the 12 patients with HCC with HBV S gene integration in the experimental group, whereas the fusion gene was not detectable in any of the patients in the control group (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: This research demonstrates a high detection rate of HBV S-integrated human ESPL1 fusion gene in patients with HBV-related HCC and shows that this fusion gene appears to be associated with HCC development in patients with CHB. These findings suggest that HBV S-integrated human ESPL1 fusion gene may potentially serve as a biomarker for early detection of HCC in HBV-infected populations.

Influence of isoniazid on T lymphocytes, cytokines, and macrophages in rats

T lymphocytes, cytokines, and macrophages play important roles in the clearance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) by the immune system. This study aimed to investigate the effects of isoniazid on the functions of both innate and adaptive immune cells. Healthy rats were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Each group was randomly divided into three subgroups and named according to the duration of drug feeding, 1, 3, and 3 months followed by drug withdrawal for 1 month. The experimental groups were fed with isoniazid (12 mg/mL) and the control groups with normal saline. The percentage of CD4+ and CD8+T lymphocytes, level of interleukin (IL)-12 and interferon (IFN)-γ, and function of macrophages were determined at these three time points. Isoniazid significantly increased the percentage of CD4+T lymphocytes and the CD4+/CD8+T lymphocyte cell ratio (P < 0.05). It transiently (<1 month) enhanced the functions of rat macrophages significantly (P < 0.05). In summary, isoniazid could increase the percentage of CD4+T lymphocytes, CD4+/CD8+T lymphocyte cell ratio, and enhance macrophage function in healthy rats