Article ; Online: Injecting drug use and hepatitis C virus infection independently increase biomarkers of inflammatory disease risk which are incompletely restored by curative direct-acting antiviral therapy.
2024 Volume 15, Page(s) 1352440
Abstract: Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are more prevalent in people who inject drugs (PWID) who often experience additional health risks. HCV induces inflammation and immune alterations that contribute to hepatic and non-hepatic morbidities. It ... ...
| Abstract | Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are more prevalent in people who inject drugs (PWID) who often experience additional health risks. HCV induces inflammation and immune alterations that contribute to hepatic and non-hepatic morbidities. It remains unclear whether curative direct acting antiviral (DAA) therapy completely reverses immune alterations in PWID. Methods: Plasma biomarkers of immune activation associated with chronic disease risk were measured in HCV-seronegative (n=24) and HCV RNA+ (n=32) PWID at baseline and longitudinally after DAA therapy. Adjusted generalised estimating equations were used to assess longitudinal changes in biomarker levels. Comparisons between community controls (n=29) and HCV-seronegative PWID were made using adjusted multiple regression modelling. Results: HCV-seronegative PWID exhibited significantly increased levels of inflammatory biomarkers including soluble (s) TNF-RII, IL-6, sCD14 and sCD163 and the diabetes index HbA1c as compared to community controls. CXCL10, sTNF-RII, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) were additionally elevated in PWID with viremic HCV infection as compared to HCV- PWID. Whilst curative DAA therapy reversed some biomarkers, others including LBP and sTNF-RII remained elevated 48 weeks after HCV cure. Conclusion: Elevated levels of inflammatory and chronic disease biomarkers in PWID suggest an increased risk of chronic morbidities such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. HCV infection in PWID poses an additional disease burden, amplified by the incomplete reversal of immune dysfunction following DAA therapy. These findings highlight the need for heightened clinical surveillance of PWID for chronic inflammatory diseases, particularly those with a history of HCV infection. |
|---|---|
| MeSH term(s) | Humans ; Hepacivirus ; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use ; Substance Abuse, Intravenous/complications ; Substance Abuse, Intravenous/drug therapy ; Substance Abuse, Intravenous/epidemiology ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/complications ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/drug therapy ; Hepatitis C/complications ; Hepatitis C/drug therapy ; Biomarkers ; Diabetes Mellitus/drug therapy |
| Chemical Substances | Antiviral Agents ; Biomarkers |
| Language | English |
| Publishing date | 2024-02-14 |
| Publishing country | Switzerland |
| Document type | Journal Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
| ZDB-ID | 2606827-8 |
| ISSN | 1664-3224 ; 1664-3224 |
| ISSN (online) | 1664-3224 |
| ISSN | 1664-3224 |
| DOI | 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1352440 |
| Database | MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE |
More links
Kategorien
Order via subito
This service is chargeable due to the Delivery terms set by subito. Orders including an article and supplementary material will be classified as separate orders. In these cases, fees will be demanded for each order.