HIV-1 co-receptor tropism and liver fibrosis in HIV-infected patients.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

In vitro, gp120 of both X4 and R5 HIV-1 strains activates human hepatic stellate cells, but if it can promote liver fibrosis in vivo is unknown. We aimed to evaluate if patients carrying X4 or R5 strains have a different liver fibrosis (LF) progression over time.

METHODS:

A total of 1,137 HIV-infected patients in ICONA cohort (21% females, 7% HCV co-infected) with an available determination of HIV-1 co-receptor tropism (CRT), a Fibrosis-4 Index for Liver Fibrosis (FIB-4) <3.25 and at least one-year follow-up were included. CRT was assessed by gp120 sequencing on plasma RNA and geno2pheno algorithm (10% false positive rate) or by Trofile. LF was assessed by means of FIB-4. LF progression was defined as an absolute score increase or a transition to higher fibrosis stratum and/or occurrence of liver-related clinical events.

RESULTS:

A total of 249 (22%) patients carried X4 strains, which were associated with older age, lower CD4 count, lower nadir CD4, and intravenous drug use. Overall, X4 and R5 patients had similar baseline FIB-4 scores and similar mean FIB-4 slope after a median follow-up of 35 months. There was no difference between X4 and R5 for time to LF progression (p = 0.925). Estimated risk of LF at 24 months (95% CI) after baseline in X4 and R5 was 10.6% (8.3-12.9) and 9.9% (5.9-14.0), respectively. Age, HCV co-infection, diabetes, HIV-duration, HIV-RNA>100.000 cp/mL, antiretroviral therapy exposure were associated with LF progression at multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS:

A slight LF progression over time was observed in HIV-infected patients. No difference was demonstrated for X4 and R5 HIV-1 strains in accelerating LF evolution.

• Authors: Annalisa Saracino, Alessandro Cozzi-Lepri, Milensu Shanyinde, Francesca Ceccherini Silberstein, Silvia Nozza, Antonio Di Biagio, Giovanni Cassola, Giuseppe Bruno, Maria Capobianchi, Massimo Puoti, Laura Monno, Antonella d'Arminio Monforte, ICONA Foundation Study
• Journal: PloS one (PLoS One) Vol. 13 Issue 1 Pg. e0190302 ( 2018) ISSN: 1932-6203 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 29324755 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Anti-HIV Agents
• Receptors, Virus

Topics

• Anti-HIV Agents (therapeutic use)
• Female
• HIV Infections (complications, drug therapy)
• HIV-1 (physiology)
• Humans
• Liver Cirrhosis (complications)
• Male
• Receptors, Virus (physiology)
• Viral Tropism (physiology)