Cytokine, Genotype, and Viral Load Profile in the Acute and Chronic Hepatitis B.

Several hepatitis B virus (HBV) factors, including viral load, genotype, genome mutations, and cytokine production, have been reported to be associated with different risks of progression of liver disease. The aim of this study was to verify if there is an association among the levels of cytokines (interleukin [IL]-35, IL-6, IL-17A, interferon [IFN]-γ) in the plasma, viral load, and the different genotypes of HBV in patients with acute or chronic hepatitis B. Methods: 49 serum samples, 20 from acute and 29 from chronic cases, were submitted to a real-time and nested-polymerase chain reaction to quantify, detect, and genotype HBV DNA. The cytokines IL-35, IL-6, IL-17A, and IFN-γ were detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The median viral load was 3.15 log10 IU DNA/mL and 2.90 log10 IU DNA/mL for acute and chronic patients, respectively. Genotype A, D, E, and F were identified in chronic carriers of HBV infection, while only genotype A and F were identified in individuals with acute infection. IFN-γ (p = 0.024) and IL-17A (p = 0.046) levels were significantly increased in chronic patients and IL-6 and IL-35 were higher in patients with acute infection, however, without statistical difference. IL-17A and IFN-γ can be modulating proinflammatory effects and inducing hepatocellular damage, in chronic patients, and IL-6 and IL-35 may be involved in viral elimination and protection against chronicity during the acute phase of infection. These results can contribute to understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms of the host antiviral response related to cytokine production during acute and chronic HBV infection.

Filogeografia e variabilidade genética do vírus da hepatite B de genótipo D nas Américas

A infecção pelo vírus da hepatite B (HBV) representa um grave problema de saúde pública mundial. Dez genótipos (A a J) foram identificados e alguns deles foram ainda classificados em subgenótipos. O genótipo D (HBV/D) tem uma distribuição mundial e possui nove subgenótipos (D1 a D9) descritos. A história evolutiva do HBV/D nas Américas não é bem compreendida e poucas sequências de genoma completo HBV/D estão disponíveis. Oobjetivo deste estudo é analisar a proporção e a distribuição geográfica dos subgenótipos deD nas Américas, determinar as sequências genômicas completas do HBV/D isolados de diferentes regiões geográficas do Brasil e investigar a origem e a propagação dos subgenótipos de D nas Américas. Para identificar os subgenótipos circulantes nas Américas,foram obtidos do GenBank genomas completos e sequências dos genes pré-S/S e S (n =609). Foram detectados no continente os subgenótipos HBV/D1-D4 e HBV/D7. O HBV/D1 foi encontrado na Argentina (83%), Brasil (2%), Cuba (3%) e no Canadá (18%), enquanto que HBV/D2 foi detectado na Argentina (4%), Brasil (17%), Canadá (18%), Chile (75%), Cuba(5%) e EUA (90%). O subgenótipo HBV/D3 foi o mais frequente no Brasil (56%) e foi encontrado em todos os países americanos, exceto na Venezuela e Groelândia. O HBV/D4foi o subgenótipo mais frequente no Canadá (35%), Cuba (76%), Haiti (84%), Martinica(80%) e Venezuela (100%). O subgenótipo HBV/D7 foi observado apenas em Cuba (8%).A demais, amostras de soro HBsAg positivas, coletadas de todas as cinco regiões geográficas brasileiras e caracterizadas como HBV/D foram selecionadas para os equenciamento do genoma completo...

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major global health problem. Ten genotypes (A to J)have been identified and some of them have been further divided into subgenotypes.Genotype D (HBV/D) has a worldwide distribution and nine subgenotypes (D1 to D9) have sofar been described. The evolutionary history of HBV/D in the Americas is not well understoodand few HBV/D complete genome sequences are available. The aim of this study is toexamine the proportion and geographical distribution of D subgenotypes in the Americas,determine the full-length genomic sequences of HBV/D isolates from different Brazilianregions and investigate the origin and spread of D subgenotypes in the Americas. To identifythe circulating subgenotypes, we downloaded American HBV/D complete and partial (pré-S/Sor S gene) available in GenBank (n=609). It was detected in the Americas the subgenotypesHBV/D1-D4 and HBV/D7. HBV/D1 was found in Argentina (83%), Brazil (2%), Cuba (3%) andCanada (18%), while HBV/D2 was detected in Argentina (4%), Brazil (17%), Canada (18%),Chile (75%), Cuba (5%) and USA (90%).The subgenotype HBV/D3 was the most prevalentsubgenotype in Brazil (56%) and was found in all American countries except Venezuela andGreenland. HBV/D4 was the most prevalent subgenotype in Canada (35%), Cuba (76%),Haiti (84%), Martinique (80%) and Venezuela (100%). HBV/D7 was observed only in Cuba(8%). In addition, HBsAg positive serum samples, collected from all five regions of Brazil andcharacterized as having HBV/D strains were selected for full genome sequencing...