Abstract
Human pegivirus (HPgV) is a single-stranded RNA virus thatis closely related to hepatitis C virus (HCV). HPgVhasalsobeen shown to infect patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The mechanisms and disease outcomes of HPgV infections are largely unknown, although it has been implicated in both cancer and neurological diseases. There are no established therapies for HPgV. To estimate the prevalence of HPgV in a cohort of HCV/HIV co-infected patients undergoing treatment for HCV with direct acting antivirals (DAA) and investigate the effectof DAA therapy on HPgV infection. RNA was extracted from plasma samples collected at time points before, during, and after DAA. HPgV RNA abundance was quantified by droplet digital PCR assays targeting theNS5Aand 5'UTR domains and confirmed by RT-qPCR. Clinical, demographic and treatment data were analysed. HPgV RNA was detected and quantified in 26 of 100 patients' plasma (26%) before starting DAA. Patients with detectable HPgV were more likely to be male, had higher peak HIV plasma levels, and a history of injection drug use. Patients receiving sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (n=9) displayed significantly lower HPgV levels at time of DAA completion and had lower post-DAA HPgV rebound levels compared to patients receiving sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (n=11) although both regimens significantly reduced viremia directly following DAA completion. Sustained suppression of HPgV wasalso observed among patients (n=2) receiving pegylated-interferon. HPgVRNA wasfrequently detected in HCV/HIV co-infected patients and wassupressed by DAA and pegylated interferon therapies with sofosbuvir-ledipasvir showing greatest antiviral activity. These findings suggest potential treatment strategies for HPgV infections.
Published Version
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