Elimination of hepatitis C virus has limited impact on the functional and mitochondrial impairment of HCV-specific CD8+ T cell responses.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific CD8+ T cells are functionally impaired in chronic hepatitis C. Even though HCV can now be rapidly and sustainably cleared from chronically infected patients, the repercussions of HCV clearance on virus-specific CD8+ T cells remain elusive. Here, we aimed to investigate if HCV clearance by direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) could restore the functionality of exhausted HCV-specific CD8+ T cell responses. METHODS: HCV-specific CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood were obtained from 40 patients with chronic HCV infection, during and 6 months following IFN-free DAA therapy. These cells were analyzed for comprehensive phenotypes, proliferation, cytokine production, mitochondrial fitness and response to immune-checkpoint blockade. RESULTS: We show that, unlike activation markers that decreased, surface expression of multiple co-regulatory receptors on exhausted HCV-specific CD8+ T cells remained unaltered after clearance of HCV. Likewise, cytokine production by HCV-specific CD8+ T cells remained impaired following HCV clearance. The proliferative capacity of HCV multimer-specific CD8+ T cells was not restored in the majority of patients. Enhanced in vitro proliferative expansion of HCV-specific CD8+ T cells during HCV clearance was more likely in women, patients with low liver stiffness and low alanine aminotransferase levels in our cohort. Interestingly, HCV-specific CD8+ T cells that did not proliferate following HCV clearance could preferentially re-invigorate their proliferative capacity upon in vitro immune-checkpoint inhibition. Moreover, altered mitochondrial dysfunction exhibited by exhausted HCV-specific CD8+ T cells could not be normalized after HCV clearance. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our data implies that exhausted HCV-specific CD8+ T cells remain functionally and metabolically impaired at multiple levels following HCV clearance in most patients with chronic hepatitis C. Our results might have implications in cases of re-infection with HCV and for HCV vaccine development. LAY SUMMARY: Direct-acting antiviral therapy results in cure of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in almost all treated patients. However, the impacts of HCV cure on immune responses remain controversial. Whether immune responses to HCV recover is important in cases of re-exposure, or for the resolution of extrahepatic manifestations. The main finding of our study was that HCV-specific T cells remain functionally impaired despite HCV clearance. This finding could explain the fact that HCV cure does not lead to protective immunity and that re-infections have frequently been observed.

Multicenter Comparison Study of both Analytical and Clinical Performance across Four Roche Hepatitis C Virus RNA Assays Utilizing Different Platforms.

The efficacy of antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is determined by measuring HCV RNA at specific time points throughout therapy using highly sensitive and accurate HCV RNA assays. This study compared the performances of two recently developed real-time PCR HCV RNA assays, cobas HCV for use on the cobas 6800/8800 systems (cobas 6800/8800 HCV) and cobas HCV for use on the cobas 4800 system (cobas 4800 HCV), with those of two established assays, the Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan HCV quantitative test, version 2 (CAP/CTM v2) and the Cobas TaqMan HCV test, version 2 for use with the High Pure system (HPS/CTM v2). The limits of detection (LODs) and linearity at lower concentrations (5 to 1000 IU/ml) were assessed for cobas 6800/8800 HCV and cobas 4800 HCV using WHO standard traceable panels representing HCV genotypes (GT) 1 to 4. Pairwise assay comparisons were also performed using 245 clinical samples representing HCV GT 1 to GT 4. Results from cobas 6800/8800 HCV and cobas 4800 HCV were linear at low HCV RNA concentrations (<0.3 log10 IU/ml difference between expected and observed results) with LODs of 8.2 IU/ml and 11.7 IU/ml, respectively, for GT 1. The new assays showed excellent agreement with results from CAP/CTM v2 and HPS/CTM v2 in samples with quantifiable viral loads. The concordances using the 6 million IU/ml cutoff were high among all four assays (90 to 94%). In conclusion, the cobas 6800/8800 HCV and cobas 4800 HCV tests are sensitive and linear and correlate well with the established Roche assays used in clinical practice.

Interferon lambda 4 genotypes and resistance-associated variants in patients infected with hepatitis C virus genotypes 1 and 3.

UNLABELLED: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the interferon lambda 4 (IFNL4) gene are predictors for treatment success in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. For direct-acting antiviral combinations only weak association with IFNL4 SNPs was observed. Little is known about potential selections of resistance-associated variants (RAVs) by the IFNL4 genotype. This study analyzed the prevalence of RAVs to currently approved direct-acting antivirals in a large European population in correlation to SNPs in IFNL4. Samples of 633 patients chronically infected with HCV genotypes 1a (n = 259), 1b (n = 323), and 3 (n = 51) were genotyped for rs12979860 (formerly known as IL28B) and rs368234815. RAVs in NS3, NS5A, and NS5B were detected by population-based sequencing. In addition, IFNL4 SNPs and NS5A RAVs were analyzed including deep sequencing (n = 109) in an independent replication cohort of HCV genotype 1-infected patients (n = 201). No significant correlation was found between IFNL4 SNPs and rare and common RAVs within NS3 and NS5B. In contrast, the NS5A RAV Y93H was detected frequently in HCV genotype 1b (14%) and significantly associated with the beneficial IFNL4 SNPs (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). Moreover, the presence of Y93H in HCV genotype 1b patients was significantly associated with the second site variant T83M (P < 0.001). Independent factors significantly associated with the presence of Y93H were IFNL4 genotype and high baseline viral load. CONCLUSION: The NS5A RAV Y93H is significantly associated with the presence of beneficial IFNL4 SNPs and a high baseline viral load in HCV genotype 1-infected patients, which may explain a lack of correlation or even an inverse correlation of treatment response with IFNL4 genotype in some NS5A inhibitor containing IFN-free regimens.

Applicability of Hepatitis C Virus RNA Viral Load Thresholds for 8-Week Treatments in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1 Infection.

BACKGROUND: Interferon-free treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection may be shortened to 8 weeks in treatment-naive, noncirrhotic patients with baseline HCV RNA levels of <4 or <6 million (M) IU/mL based on post-hoc analyses of phase 3 trial data. The applicability of these viral load thresholds in clinical practice is unknown. METHODS: Pretreatment and on-treatment serum samples (n = 740) from patients with HCV genotype 1 infection were included for HCV RNA analysis with 2 widely used assays, Cobas AmpliPrep/CobasTaqMan (CAP/CTM) and Abbott RealTime HCV (ART) assays. RESULTS: HCV RNA levels were significantly higher with CAP/CTM than with ART (overall difference, +0.11 log10 IU/mL; P < .001). In treatment-naive, noncirrhotic patients, discordance rates around the clinical cutoffs at 4M and 6M IU/mL were 23% and 18%, respectively. The mean differences between assays in discordant samples were 0.38 (4M) and 0.41 (6M) log10 IU/mL, respectively. Overall, 87% and 95% of treatment-naive, noncirrhotic patients, respectively, had baseline HCV RNA levels below 4M and 6M IU/mL with ART. These rates were significantly higher than those measured with CAP/CTM (64% and 78%, respectively; P < .001). Finally, discordance rates around the proposed thresholds in 2 consecutive samples of the same patient were in the range of 1%-2% for ART and 13%-17% for CAP/CTM. CONCLUSIONS: Selection of patients for 8-week regimens on the basis of a single HCV RNA determination may not be reliable because viral load levels around the proposed clinical thresholds show significant interassay and intrapatient variability.

Variations in serum sphingolipid levels associate with liver fibrosis progression and poor treatment outcome in hepatitis C virus but not hepatitis B virus infection.

UNLABELLED: Ablation of very-long-chain ceramides (Cers) with consecutive elevations in sphinganine levels has been shown to cause a severe hepatopathy in a knockout mouse model. We have recently shown that serum sphingolipids (SLs) are deregulated in patients with chronic liver disease. However, their role as possible biomarkers in liver fibrosis remains to date unexplored. We assessed, using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, serum concentrations of various SL metabolites in 406 patients with chronic viral hepatitis, 203 infected with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) and 203 with hepatitis B virus (HBV), respectively. We observed significant variations of serum SLs, with sphingosine and sphinganine being, both in univariate (P<0.05) as well as in multivariate analysis, significantly associated to severity of liver fibrosis in HCV-infected patients (odds ratio [OR]: 1.111; confidence interval [CI]: 1.028-1.202; P=0.007 and OR, 0.634; CI, 0.435-0.925; P=0.018, respectively). Serum SLs correlated significantly with serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels as well as with insulin resistance, defined by the homeostatic model assessment index, in HCV patients. Sustained viral response rates in HCV patients were independently predicted by serum C24Cer (OR, 0.998; CI, 0.997-0.999; P=0.001), its unsaturated derivative C24:1Cer (OR, 1.001; CI, 1.000-1.002; P=0.059), and C18:1Cer (OR, 0.973; CI, 0.947-0.999; P=0.048), together with ferritin (OR, 1.006; CI, 1.003-1.010; P<0.001), alkaline phosphatase (OR, 1.020; CI, 1.001-1.039; P=0.032), and interleukin-28B genotype (OR, 9.483; CI, 3.139-28.643; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates a tight interaction between variations in serum SL levels and progression of liver fibrosis as well as responsiveness to antiviral therapy. Particularly, sphingosine, sphinganine, and C24Cer appear as promising novel biomarkers in chronic HCV infection and should be further evaluated within the noninvasive prediction of liver fibrosis.

Investigation of NS3 Protease Resistance-Associated Variants and Phenotypes for the Prediction of Treatment Response to HCV Triple Therapy.

Triple therapy of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with boceprevir (BOC) or telaprevir (TVR) leads to virologic failure in many patients which is often associated with the selection of resistance-associated variants (RAVs). These resistance profiles are of importance for the selection of potential rescue treatment options. In this study, we sequenced baseline NS3 RAVs population-based and investigated the sensitivity of NS3 phenotypes in an HCV replicon assay together with clinical factors for a prediction of treatment response in a cohort of 165 German and Swiss patients treated with a BOC or TVR-based triple therapy. Overall, the prevalence of baseline RAVs was low, although the frequency of RAVs was higher in patients with virologic failure compared to those who achieved a sustained virologic response (SVR) (7% versus 1%, P = 0.06). The occurrence of RAVs was associated with a resistant NS3 quasispecies phenotype (P<0.001), but the sensitivity of phenotypes was not associated with treatment outcome (P = 0.2). The majority of single viral and host predictors of SVR was only weakly associated with treatment response. In multivariate analyses, low AST levels, female sex and an IFNL4 CC genotype were independently associated with SVR. However, a combined analysis of negative predictors revealed a significantly lower overall number of negative predictors in patients with SVR in comparison to individuals with virologic failure (P<0.0001) and the presence of 2 or less negative predictors was indicative for SVR. These results demonstrate that most single baseline viral and host parameters have a weak influence on the response to triple therapy, whereas the overall number of negative predictors has a high predictive value for SVR.

Consideration of Viral Resistance for Optimization of Direct Antiviral Therapy of Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1-Infected Patients.

Different highly effective interferon-free treatment options for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are currently available. Pre-existence of resistance associated variants (RAVs) to direct antiviral agents (DAAs) reduces sustained virologic response (SVR) rates by 3-53% in hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infected patients depending on different predictors and the DAA regimen used. Frequencies of single and combined resistance to NS3, NS5A and NS5B inhibitors and consequences for the applicability of different treatment regimens are unknown. Parallel population based sequencing of HCV NS3, NS5A and NS5B genes in 312 treatment-naïve Caucasian HCV genotype 1 infected patients showed the presence of major resistant variants in 20.5% (NS3), 11.9% (NS5A), and 22.1% (NS5B) with important differences for HCV subtypes. In NS3, Q80K was observed in 34.7% and 2.1% of subtype 1a and 1b patients, respectively while other RAVs to second generation protease inhibitors were detected rarely (1.4%). Within NS5A RAVs were observed in 7.1% of subtype 1a and 17.6% in subtype 1b infected patients. RAVs to non-nucleoside NS5B inhibitors were observed in 3.5% and 44.4% of subtype 1a and 1b patients, respectively. Considering all three DAA targets all subtype 1a and 98.6% of subtype 1b infected patients were wildtype for at least one interferon free DAA regimen currently available. In conclusion, baseline resistance testing allows the selection of at least one RAVs-free treatment option for nearly all patients enabling a potentially cost- and efficacy-optimized treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

Evolution and function of the HCV NS3 protease in patients with acute hepatitis C and HIV coinfection.

Little is known about the importance of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protease in acute hepatitis C. In this prospective study, 82 consecutive patients with acute hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection were enrolled. Individuals were infected with highly related HCV strains and the baseline NS3 quasispecies diversity and complexity was higher compared to a chronic hepatitis C control group (P<0.0001). Both parameters were comparable in patients with spontaneous clearance (n=6) versus treatment-induced SVR (n=5) or development of chronic hepatitis C (n=9). Longitudinal NS3 quasispecies kinetics showed a trend to a decreasing diversity and complexity (P<0.05) within 4 weeks in patients with spontaneous clearance compared to the other groups. The innate immune signalling protein CARDIF was cleaved to a similar extent independent of the outcome. Together with a more pronounced viral load decline (P<0.05), an early decreasing NS3 quasispecies evolution indicates spontaneous clearance of acute hepatitis C.