The hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) can infect cells of the lymphatic system. It is unknown whether HIV-1 co-infection impacts infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) subsets by the HBV.
Aims: To compare the detection of HBV genomes and HBV sequences in unsorted PBMCs and subsets (i.e., CD4+ T, CD8+ T, CD14+ monocytes, CD19+ B, CD56+ NK cells) in HBV mono-infected vs. HBV/HIV-1 co-infected individuals.
Methods: Total PBMC and subsets isolated from 14 HBV mono-infected (4/14 before and after anti-HBV therapy) and 6 HBV/HIV-1 co-infected individuals (5/6 consistently on dual active anti-HBV/HIV therapy) were tested for HBV genomes, including replication indicative HBV covalently closed circular (ccc)-DNA, by nested PCR/nucleic hybridization and/or quantitative PCR. In CD4+, and/or CD56+ subsets from two HBV monoinfected cases, the HBV polymerase/overlapping surface region was analyzed by next generation sequencing.
Results: All analyzed whole PBMC from HBV monoinfected and HBV/HIV coinfected individuals were HBV genome positive. Similarly, HBV DNA was detected in all target PBMC subsets regardless of antiviral therapy, but was absent from the CD4+ T cell subset from all HBV/HIV-1 positive cases (P<0.04). In the CD4+ and CD56+ subset of 2 HBV monoinfected cases on tenofovir therapy, mutations at residues associated with drug resistance and/or immune escape (i.e., G145R) were detected in a minor percentage of the population.
Summary: HBV genomes and drug resistant variants were detectable in PBMC subsets from HBV mono-infected individuals. The HBV replicates in PBMC subsets of HBV/HIV-1 patients except the CD4+ T cell subpopulation.