Pre-S Deletions are Predominant Quasispecies in HIV/HBV Infection: Quasispecies Perspective

Figures & data

Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the amplified region.

Table 1 Demographic and Clinical Features of Patients of Patients

Characteristics	HIV/HBV Co-Infection	HBV Mono-Infection	P value
Participants, N	71	76
Sex (man), n (%)	56 (78.9%)	59 (77.6%)	0.855
Age, years	38(31–47)	35(27–39)	0.281
HBeAg (±)	40/31	47/29	0.497
HBV genotype, B/C	45/26	47/29	0.847
ALT, IU/mL	39.5(25–67.25)	37(25.425–95.5)	0.291
AST, IU/mL	39(30–69.75)	34(22.5–53.25)	0.634
Platelets, 10^9/L	181.24±63.69	177.93±70.52	0.671
APRI	0.622 (0.132–1.681)	0.604(0.176–1.733)	0.648
CD4 count, cell/mL	63(16–92)
CD8 count, cell/mL	544(392–779.5)
CD4/CD8 ratio	0.106(0.035–0.183)
HBV DNA, lg (copies/mL)	6.724(4.637–7.564)	6.345(5.130–7.639)	0.452
HBsAg, lg (IU/mL)	3.829(3.080–4.582)	3.957(3.154–4.764)	0.302

Note: Platelet count was expressed by mean (standard deviation), and other variables were expressed by median (interquartile range).

Abbreviations: ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; HBeAg, hepatitis B e antigen; ARPI, aspartate aminotransferase-platelet ratio index.

Table 2 Proportion Comparison of Patients with Pre-S Quasispecies Deletion Patients in the Two Groups

	HIV/HBV Co-Infection	HBV Mono-Infection	P-value
Participants, N	71	76
Pre-S deletion, n (%)	42(59.2%)	55(72.3%)	0.091
Pre-S1 deletion, n (%)	37(52.1%)	44(57.9%)	0.083
Pre-S2 deletion, n (%)	22(30.9%)	24(31.5%)	0.938

Figure 2 Quasispecies frequencies of the Pre-S deletion in HIV/HBV co-infection and HBV mono-infection patients. (A) Comparison for the Pre-S deletion; (B) comparison for the Pre-S1 deletion; and (C) comparison for the Pre-S2 deletion.

Table 3 Frequency Comparison of Functional Deletion in HBV Pre-S Region Between the Two Groups

Functional Domain	HIV/HBV Co-Infection	HBV Mono-Infection	P-value
Transactivator domain	31.3% (4.1–94.7%)	16.1% (2.9–48.7%)	0.060
Hepatocyte binding site	13.7% (4.0–96.4%)	5.1% (1.9–22%)	0.180
S-promoter	28.6% (4.1–94.6%)	6.0% (1.9–40.1%)	0.020
Heat shock protein 70 binding site	26.8% (4.1–94.6%)	5.8% (2.0–26.9%)	0.022
Cytosolic anchorage determinant	18.4% (3.9–94.7%)	5.9% (2.1–32.6%)	0.083
CCAAT binding site	18.45% (4.1–94.7%)	11.9% (2.5–49.7%)	0.413
Nucleocapsid binding site	15.8% (2.8–91.9%)	5.9% (2.0–46.7%)	0.233
pHSA binding site	15.8% (3.7–70.8%)	9.1% (2.0–29.7%)	0.281
Viral secretion site	25% (3.3–89.4%)	6% (1.9–29.4%)	0.205

Notes: Data were expressed by median (interquartile range). Bold values indicate P<0.05.

Abbreviation: pHSA, polymerized human serum albumin.

Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the functional domains of HBV Pre-S1 and Pre-S2. (1): Viral secretion (nt 3205–4); (2): CCAAT-binding factor (CBF) binding site (nt 3137–3147); S-promoter (nt 3045–3180); hepatocyte binding site (nt 2908–2988); nucleocapsid binding site (nt 3155–4); cytosolic anchorage determinant (CAD) at nt 3088–3162; polymerized human serum albumin (pHSA)-binding site (nt 3211–37); heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70)-binding site (nt 3067–3201). The transactivator domain contains two regions, which are at nt 2908–3117 and 3205–48; the first triangle: N-linked myristylation at N-2 of the L protein; the second triangle: N-linked glycosylation at N-4 of the M protein. nt 1848–2887 are located in the N-terminus of Pre-S1.