Intrahepatic CXCL10 is strongly associated with liver fibrosis in HIV-Hepatitis B co-infection

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008744
• Publication Date: 2020-09-08T17:37:01Z
• Authors: Kasha P. Singh; Jennifer M. Zerbato; Wei Zhao; Sabine Braat; Claire Deleage; G. Surekha Tennakoon; Hugh Mason; Ashanti Dantanara...; Ajantha Rhodes; Jake W. Rhodes; Joe Torresi; Andrew N. Harman; Peter A. Revill; Megan Crane; Jacob D. Estes; Anchalee Avihings...; Sharon R. Lewin; Jennifer Audsley
• Keywords: Transient elastography; Liver disease; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C

In HIV-hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection, adverse liver outcomes including fibrosis occur at higher frequency than in HBV-mono-infection, even following antiretroviral therapy (ART) that suppresses both HIV and HBV replication. To determine whether disease was associated with intrahepatic or circulating markers of inflammation burden HBV, biopsies blood were collected from HIV-HBV co-infected individuals (n = 39) living Bangkok, Thailand naïve to ART. Transient elastography (TE) performed. Intrahepatic microbial translocation quantified by ELISA bead arrays infection PCR. Liver (measured transient biopsy) statistically significantly mRNA for CXCL10 CXCR3 using linear logistic regression analyses adjusted CD4 T-cell count. There no evidence a relationship between DNA, qHBsAg, plasma RNA cell-associated DNA. Using immunohistochemistry this cohort, detected hepatocytes inflammatory infiltrates the portal tracts. an vitro model, we infected HBV-infected hepatocyte cell line HIV, followed interferon-γ stimulation. cells lines produced more uninfected increased presence increasing multiplicity infection. Conclusion: Enhanced production co-infection may contribute accelerated setting co-infection.