Hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes severe illness in millions of people worldwide, but the epidemic strains responsible for most infections arose within the past hundred years and represent only a small part of total HCV diversity. In this thesis I combine laboratory and computational methods to study HCV in Africa. I aim to characterize its current genetic diversity and its historical transmission prior to the global HCV epidemic. In Chapter 2 I begin by screening samples from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for HCV and the related human pegivirus. I find high HCV sequence diversity, including a putative new subtype, and find significantly higher HCV prevalence in those born before 1950. Chapter 3 continues this screening, and combines the sequences obtained with those from online databases. Using molcular clock methods I estimate that genotype 4 originated in central Africa around 1733, and that multiple lineages, including subtype 4a which dominates the HCV epidemic in Egypt, have moved to north Africa since ~1850. In Chapter 4 I analyse sequences sampled from an elderly population in Kinshasa to estimate HCV’s transmission history there during the 20th century. The results indicate a rapid increase in HCV transmission between 1950 and 1970 in multiple independent lineages. Possible causes of this increase are discussed. This study population also exhibits high HCV genetic diversity, including the second genotype 7 sample discovered to date. Finally, Chapter 5 uses a range of sequencing techniques, including RNAseq, to characterise two putative HCV recombinants from Cameroon. I confirm that both sequences are recombinants, and generate a full genome sequence for one. I also develop new tools to distinguish between dual infection and recombination in next-generation sequencing data, and discuss how recombination might affect HCV diversity and treatment.

Introduction and methods: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a difficult disease to study even after a decade of genomic analysis. Metabolic and cell-cycle perturbations are known, large changes in tumors that add little to our understanding of the development of tumors, but generate “noise” that obscures potentially important smaller scale expression changes in “driver genes”. Recently, some researchers have suggested that HCC shares pathways involving the master regulators of embryonic development. Here, we investigated the involvement and specificity of developmental genes in HCV-cirrhosis and HCV-HCC. We obtained microarray studies from 30 patients with HCV-cirrhosis and 49 patients with HCV-HCC and compared to 12 normal livers. Differential gene expression is specific to liver development genes: 86 of 202 (43%) genes specific to liver development had differential expression between normal and cirrhotic or HCC samples. Of 60 genes with paralogous function, which are specific to development of other organs and have known associations with other cancer types, none were expressed in either adult normal liver or tumor tissue. Developmental genes are widely differentially expressed in both cirrhosis and early HCC, but not late HCC: 69 liver development genes were differentially expressed in cirrhosis, and 58 of these (84%) were also dysregulated in early HCC. 19/58 (33%) had larger-magnitude changes in cirrhosis and 5 (9%) had larger-magnitude changes in early HCC. 16 (9%) genes were uniquely altered in early tumors, while only 2 genes were uniquely changed in late-stage (T3 and T4) HCC. Together, these results suggest that the involvement of the master regulators of liver development are active in the pre-cancerous cirrhotic liver and in cirrhotic livers with emerging tumors but play a limited role in the transition from early to late stage HCC. Common patterns of coordinated developmental gene expression include: (1) Dysregulation of BMP2 signaling in cirrhosis followed by overexpression of BMP inhibitors in HCC. BMP inhibitor GPC3 was overexpressed in nearly all tumors, while GREM1 was associated specifically with recurrence-free survival after ablation and transplant. (2) Cirrhosis tissues acquire a progenitor-like signature including high expression of Vimentin, EPCAM, and KRT19, and these markers remain over-expressed to a lesser extent in HCC. (3) Hepatocyte proliferation inhibitors (HPI) E-cadherin (CDH1), BMP2, and MST1 were highly expressed in cirrhosis and remained over-expressed in 16 HCC patients who were transplanted with excellent recurrence-free survival (94% survival after 2 years; mean recurrence-free survival = 5.6 yrs), while loss in early HCC was associated with early recurrence and (2 year). Loss of HPI overexpression was also correlated with overexpression of c-MET and loss of STAT3, LAMA2, FGFR2, CITED2, KIT, SMAD7, GATA6, ERBB2, and NOTCH2.

<p>Human genetics has been experiencing a wave of genetic discoveries thanks to the development of several technologies, such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), whole-exome sequencing, and whole genome sequencing. Despite the massive genetic discoveries of new variants associated with human diseases, several key challenges emerge following the genetic discovery. GWAS is known to be good at identifying the locus associated with the patient phenotype. However, the actually causal variants responsible for the phenotype are often elusive. Another challenge in human genetics is that even the causal mutations are already known, the underlying biological effect might remain largely ambiguous. Functional evaluation plays a key role to solve these key challenges in human genetics both to identify causal variants responsible for the phenotype, and to further develop the biological insights from the disease-causing mutations. </p><p>We adopted various methods to characterize the effects of variants identified in human genetic studies, including patient genetic and phenotypic data, RNA chemistry, molecular biology, virology, and multi-electrode array and primary neuronal culture systems. Chapter 1 is a broader introduction for the motivation and challenges for functional evaluation in human genetic studies, and the background of several genetics discoveries, such as hepatitis C treatment response, in which we performed functional characterization. </p><p>Chapter 2 focuses on the characterization of causal variants following the GWAS study for hepatitis C treatment response. We characterized a non-coding SNP (rs4803217) of IL28B (IFNL3) in high linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the discovery SNP identified in the GWAS. In this chapter, we used inter-disciplinary approaches to characterize rs4803217 on RNA structure, disease association, and protein translation.</p><p>Chapter 3 describes another avenue of functional characterization following GWAS focusing on the novel transcripts and proteins identified near the IL28B (IFNL3) locus. It has been recently speculated that this novel protein, which was named IFNL4, may affect the HCV treatment response and clearance. In this chapter, we used molecular biology, virology, and patient genetic and phenotypic data to further characterize and understand the biology of IFNL4. The efforts in chapter 2 and 3 provided new insights to the candidate causal variant(s) responsible for the GWAS for HCV treatment response, however, more evidence is still required to make claims for the exact causal roles of these variants for the GWAS association. </p><p>Chapter 4 aims to characterize a mutation already known to cause a disease (seizure) in a mouse model. We demonstrate the potential use of multi-electrode array (MEA) system for the functional characterization and drug testing on mutations found in neurological diseases, such as seizure. Functional characterization in neurological diseases is relatively challenging and available systematic tools are relatively limited. This chapter shows an exploratory research and example to establish a system for the broader use for functional characterization and translational opportunities for mutations found in neurological diseases. </p><p>Overall, this dissertation spans a range of challenges of functional evaluations in human genetics. It is expected that the functional characterization to understand human mutations will become more central in human genetics, because there are still many biological questions remaining to be answered after the explosion of human genetic discoveries. The recent advance in several technologies, including genome editing and pluripotent stem cells, is also expected to make new tools available for functional studies in human diseases.</p> / Dissertation

Infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) has a big impact on global health. It is estimated that approximately 3 % of the world’s population carry HCV, putting more than 200 million people at risk of developing severe liver disease, including chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The HCV encoded viroporin p7 forms ion channels that are crucial for the assembly and secretion of infectious viruses, making it a potential drug target. Its hydrophobic nature makes p7 notoriously difficult to investigate in an untagged native form. A previously determined 16 Å electron microscopy single-particle reconstruction in detergent showed a hexameric, flower-shaped p7 protein. In conjunction with one hexameric and several monomeric p7 solution state NMR structures published, this constitutes the currently available structural information framework. An E. coli expression system is introduced, which is especially adapted to express isotopically labeled p7. For the first time, suitable solution-state NMR conditions at physiological pH and temperature were identified that gave rise to high quality spectra suitable to interrogate iminosugar drug interactions with untagged isotopically labeled J4 p7 (C27S) solubilised in detergent. A novel secondary structure topology was observed and preliminary iminosugar binding sites were determined. Further, a DIB (droplet interface bilayer) system to analyse p7 ion channel function was established, which is suitable to elucidate how inhibitors act on p7 genotypes and how different lipids influence the ion channel function of p7. The p7 oligomeric state was further investigated using native gel analysis, showing that isolates representing HCV genotypes 1 - 6 form oligomeric complexes. An ion channel defective dibasic mutant implicated in severely compromising viral fitness is also shown for the first time to form an oligomer, implicating that it is not an assembly problem that leads to the abrogated function.

L'une des principales cibles pour la thérapie visant le virus de l'hépatite C (VHC) est l'ARN polymérase dépendante de l'ARN NS5B indispensable à la réplication du génome virale. NS5B est l'une des enzymes clefs du cycle virale de VHC et son activation met en jeu aussi bien des interactions intramoléculaires que des interactions avec des cofacteurs viraux et cellulaires au sein du complexe de réplication. Nous avons développé une nouvelle stratégie d'inhibition de NS5B basée sur l'élaboration de peptides courts dérivés de motifs exposés à la surface de l'enzyme dans le but de cibler les nombreuses interactions impliquées dans l'activation de cette protéine. En associant une analyse fine de la structure cristallographique de NS5B avec de la modélisation moléculaire, nous avons élaboré des peptides courts mimant les motifs « hotspot » de la protéine. Ces peptides ont été évalués sur système réplicon de génotype 1b et nous avons ainsi identifié un peptide leader Moon1 de 15 résidus correspondant à un motif hautement conservé du domaine "thumb". Dans ce travail, nous avons étudié en détail la structure et le mécanisme moléculaire de ce nouvel inhibiteur de NS5B. Moon1 inhibe l'activité polymérase de la forme sauvage de NS5B ainsi que celle de mutants résistants au inhibiteurs nucléosidiques et non nucléosidiques. Nous avons démontré que la fixation de Moon1 entraine un changement de conformation de NS5B et se fait préférentiellement avec NS5B dans une conformation fermée. Ce peptide inhibe spécifiquement l'interaction entre NS5B et l'ARN double brin, indépendamment de la présence d'ions métalliques et de manière dose-dépendante. Moon1 bloque la transition entre l'étape d'initiation de novo de la synthèse d'ARN et l'extension du primer. Nous avons démontré que les résidus essentiels à l'activité de Moon1 sont hautement conservés à travers les différents génotypes et sous-types de VHC. De plus, nous avons établi une séquence minimale pour l'activité de Moon1. Nos travaux permettent de valider l'intérêt d'une stratégie interfaciale ciblant une enzyme clef du cycle du VHC et les interactions intra et intermoléculaires nécessaires à son activation. / The non-structural protein RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) NS5B plays a key role in hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication and is currently considered as one of the most relevant target to develop safe anti-HCV agents. Although many small molecules have been identified as inhibitors of NS5B, very few are active in clinic. The structure and function of NS5B have been well characterized and as other polymerases, NS5B adopts a typical “right-hand” conformation containing the characteristic fingers, palm and thumb subdomains. The activation of NS5B requires conformational changes involving intramolecular contacts as well interactions with viral proteins and host factors in the replication complex. We developed a new strategy for NS5B inhibition based on short interfacial peptides derived from NS5B surface accessible motifs that target protein-protein interfaces or essential motifs involved in NS5B-activation. Combining the NS5B crystallogaphic structure and molecular modelling, we have designed short peptides derived from NS5B surface “hotspots” that were screened using HCV genotype 1b replicon cell system. We have identified Moon1, a short 15-residu peptide, derived from a well-conserved motif located in the NS5B thumb domain that inhibits HCV replication in the low nanomolar range. Moon1 tightly binds NS5B in a conformational-dependent manner and induces NS5B conformational changes. This peptide specifically inhibits double-stranded RNA/NS5B interactions in a dose-dependent and metal ions-independent manner. Moon1 blocks the transition between RNA de novo initiation and primer-extension. We showed that residues required for Moon-1 anti-polymerase activity are well-conserved among HCV genotypes and subtypes and a minimal Moon1 active motif was established. Taken together, these results demonstrate that NS5B structural dynamics constitute an attractive target for HCV chemotherapeutics and for the design of more specific new antiviral drugs.

Complex patterns of HCV infection are increasingly reported, particularly in highly exposed individuals, with multiple and variable subtype profiles seen in many chronic patients. This study aims to address some of the questions arising from this increasingly diverse and dynamic picture, both within hosts and at a population level. In Chapter 2 I find evidence for a highly dynamic infection profile in acute HCV, both in terms of viral load and the dominant subtype. I extrapolate these observations from individual patients to formulate a model of HCV transmission across a high-risk population in order to predict the impact of current and anticipated interventions in Chapters 3 and 4. I show that antiviral therapy and a putative vaccination can still have a significant impact on HCV prevalence at the population level, even when the latter offers only partial protection and in the epidemiological background of ongoing exposure. Thus, in an epidemic with more than one circulating strain it will be crucial for any individual or combination of interventions to target all variants present. In Chapter 5 I demonstrate that early viral load kinetics of patients initiating treatment are indicative of treatment outcome. Strain differences are also evident in the virologic response to treatment with hard-to-treat genotype 1 exhibiting a slower rate of viral load decline than genotypes 2 and 3.

Die Infektion mit dem Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) gilt als eine der Hauptursachen für chronische Hepatitiden und führt häufig zu Leberzirrhose und Leberkarzinom. Weltweit sind etwa 200 Millionen Menschen mit diesem Virus infiziert. Die aktuelle Behandlung der Hepatitis C mit Ribavirin und Interferon-alpha ist langwierig, beeinträchtigt durch Nebenwirkungen und führt nur bei einem Teil der Patienten zur Heilung. Aus diesem Grund ist die Entwicklung eines präventiv oder therapeutisch einsetzbaren Impfstoffes gegen HCV-Infektionen sehr wünschenswert. Das hoch attenuierte und in seiner Vermehrungsfähigkeit extrem eingeschränkte modifizierte Vakziniavirus Ankara (MVA) gehört zu den viel versprechendsten Kandidaten für die Entwicklung neuartiger rekombinanter Virusimpfstoffe. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit sollten erste rekombinante MVA-HCV-Viren auf ihre Eignung als Impfstoffe untersucht werden. Als Zielantigene dienten wichtige virale Strukturproteine, darunter das unter den HCV-Genotypen hoch konservierte Nukleokapsidprotein Core, sowie das Nichtstrukturprotein NS3, welches als regulatorisches Virusprotein im HCV-Replikationszyklus eine wichtige Rolle spielt, untersucht werden. Hierfür wurden die rekombinanten MVA-Viren MVA-P7.5-HCV core (MVA-core) und MVA P7.5-HCV-1-830 (MVA-1-830) eingesetzt, welche für die HCV-Strukturproteine codierende Gensequenzen unter der Kontrolle des Vakziniavirus-spezifischen Promotors P7.5 exprimieren. Zusätzlich wurde ein weiteres rekombinantes Virus MVA-P7.5-HCV-NS3 (MVA-NS3) konstruiert, welches die Gensequenz für das HCV-Nichtstrukturprotein NS3 trägt. Alle Vektorviren erwiesen sich in in vitro Experimenten als genetisch stabil, erlaubten die Produktion der rekombinanten HCV-Antigene in infizierten Zielzellen und waren somit geeignet für in vivo Untersuchungen im Mausmodell. Da HCV-spezifischen CD8+-T-Zellantworten eine wichtige Rolle bei der Ausheilung einer Hepatitis C zugeschrieben wird, sollte insbesondere die Anregung dieser Immunantworten untersucht werden. Dabei zeigte sich, dass bereits eine einmalige Immunisierung mit MVA-core, MVA-1-830 oder MVA-NS3 ausreichend ist, um HCV-spezifische CD8+-T-Zellantworten zu induzieren. Diese CD8+-T-Lymphozyten konnten ex vivo in Epitop-spezifischer Weise zur Interferon-gamma-Synthese stimuliert werden, ließen sich Antigen-spezifisch in vitro expandieren und waren in der Lage, HCV-spezifische Zielzellen zu erkennen und zu lysieren. Zudem konnte eine Steigerung der Immunantworten durch Mehrfachapplikation der MVA-Vakzinen erzielt werden. Im Folgenden gelang es, die HCV-spezifischen CD8+-T-Zellantworten durch kombinierte Applikation der MVA-Vakzinen mit anderen rekombinanten Virusimpfstoffen wie Semliki-Forest-Viren oder Adenoviren, sowie mit Plasmid-DNA weiter zu verstärken. Solche Impfstrategien sind viel versprechend, da sich die gemeinsame Komponente der eingesetzten, unterschiedlichen Vektorvakzinen auf die rekombinanten Antigene beschränkt und eine starke Immunreaktion auf diese Antigene angeregt wird. Die in dieser Arbeit gewonnenen Erkenntnisse erlauben die Schlussfolgerung, dass rekombinante MVA-Vektoren, die HCV-spezifische Antigene produzieren, dafür geeignet sind, um nach Impfapplikation HCV-spezifische zelluläre Immunantworten zu induzieren. Die im Tiermodell erarbeiteten, optimierten Immunisierungsstrategien liefern eine erste Grundlage für weitere Immunisierungsexperimente in Primatenmodellen und zur Planung erster klinischer Studien im Menschen. / Infections with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are considered as one of the main causes for chronic hepatitis and often lead to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. About 200 million people worldwide are chronically infected with this virus. The current antiviral therapy relying on ribavirin and interferon-alpha is time consuming, often impaired by side effects and leads to resolution of the disease in only a part of the patients. For this reason, the development of a prophylactic or therapeutic vaccine against HCV infections is very desirable. The highly attenuated and replication deficient modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) is one of the most promising candidates for development of new generation virus vaccines. Purpose of this work was to evaluate first recombinant MVA HCV viruses for their suitability as vaccines against hepatitis C. HCV structural proteins, amongst them the highly conserved core protein, as well as the non-structural protein NS3, which plays a key regulatory role in the HCV replication cycle, served as target antigens for MVA vaccine development. First, we investigated recombinant MVA viruses MVA-P7.5-HCV-core (MVA-core) and MVA-P7.5-HCV-1-830 (MVA-1-830), which express the coding gene sequences for HCV structural proteins under control of the vaccinia virus specific promoter P7.5. Second, we constructed and characterized a recombinant virus MVA-P7.5-HCV-NS3 (MVA-NS3) that carries the gene sequence for the HCV non-structural protein NS3. As demonstrated by in vitro experiments, all vector viruses were genetically stable, permitted the production of recombinant HCV antigens in infected target cells and were thus suitable for in vivo experiments using mouse models. Since HCV specific CD8+ T cell responses are considered important in hepatitis C virus clearance, special emphasis was given to the analysis of induction of this kind of immune response. When tested in first vaccination experiments, already a single immunization with MVA-core, MVA-1-830 or MVA-NS3 was sufficient to induce HCV specific CD8+ T cell responses. These CD8+ T lymphocytes could be stimulated ex vivo in an epitope specific manner, resulting in interferon-gamma production, could be further expanded in vitro and were able to recognize and lyse HCV specific target cells. Additionally, multiple applications of the MVA vaccines resulted in an increase of these cellular immune responses. In a final series of experiments, the possibility to further amplify HCV specific CD8+ T cell responses could be demonstrated by using combined applications of MVA with other experimental gene transfer vaccines based on Semliki Forest virus, adenovirus or plasmid DNA. Overall, the results of this work clearly suggest that recombinant MVA vectors delivering HCV specific antigens, are suitable candidate vaccines for induction of HCV specific cellular immune responses upon immunization. Importantly, the definition of optimized immunization strategies offers a rational basis for further immunization studies in primate models and for the conception of first clinical studies in humans.

Introdução: A estimativa de sobrevida de pacientes com HIV/aids aumentou após a terapia antirretroviral de alta potência: no entanto, a mortalidade por doenças hepáticas também cresceu. Objetivos: Estimar a probabilidade acumulada de sobrevida após o diagnóstico de aids entre pacientes coinfectados HIV/HCV e realizar análise exploratória para investigar fatores relacionados à sobrevida desses pacientes. Metodologia: Estudo de coorte não concorrente, utilizando sistemas de Informações: o de Agravos de Notificação, o de informação laboratorial e o de informação da vigilância epidemiológica do Centro de Referência e Treinamento DST/AIDS-SP, de pacientes com aids maiores de 13 anos, acompanhados no ambulatório geral. As variáveis estudadas foram: hepatite C, hepatite B, categoria de exposição, contagem de células T CD4+, faixa etária, escolaridade, cor, sexo e períodos de diagnóstico de aids: 1986 a 1993, 1994 a 1996, 1997 a 2002 e 2003 a 2010. Foi utilizado o estimador de Kaplan-Meier, o modelo de Cox e as estimativas das hazard ratio (HR) com os respectivos intervalos de confiança (IC 95 por cento ). Resultados: De um total de 2.864 pessoas incluídas, com idade mediana de 35 anos, 219 foram a óbito (7,5 por cento ). De 358 (12,5 por cento ) coinfectados, 159 (45,1 por cento ) eram usuários de drogas injetáveis (UDI) e de 2.506 não coinfectados, 96 (3,9 por cento ) eram UDI. A probabilidade acumulada de sobrevida entre coinfectados, a partir do diagnóstico de aids, foi 100 por cento aos 60 meses no período de 1986 a 1993; 27,8 por cento aos 168 meses no período de 1994 a 1996; 76,3 por cento aos 168 meses no período de 1997 a 2002 e 92,8 por cento aos 96 meses no período de 2003 a 2010. As curvas de sobrevida foram diferentes entre coinfectados e não coinfectados no período de 1994 a 1996 (log rank = 19,8; p < 0,001) e no período de 1997 a 2002 (log rank = 38,8; p < 0,001). No modelo de Cox multivariado, mostraram-se preditores de óbito, independentemente das outras variáveis: ter hepatite C (HR = 2,9; IC 2,1-3,9), ter hepatite B (HR = 2,5; IC 1,7-3,6), ter até 3 anos de estudo (HR = 2,3; IC 1,5-3,6), ter 50 anos ou mais de idade (HR = 2,1; IC 1,3-3,2). Ter diagnóstico de aids no período entre 1997 a 2002 mostrou-se fator de proteção ao óbito (HR = 0,4; IC 0,3-0,5). Conclusões: Coinfectados HIV/HCV apresentaram menor sobrevida quando comparado com não coinfectados nos períodos de diagnóstico de aids 1994 a 1996 e 1997 a 2002. A partir do período 1994 a 1996, observou-se aumento significativo na probabilidade acumulada de sobrevida entre coinfectados, sendo que no período 2003 a 2010, essa probabilidade foi semelhante entre coinfectados e não coinfectados, refletindo possível impacto do tratamento da hepatite C / Introduction: The estimated survival of patients with HIV/AIDS has increased after highly active antiretroviral therapy; mortality due to liver diseases, however, has also increased. Objectives: To estimate the accumulated probability of survival after AIDS diagnosis among HIV/HCV co-infected individuals and to perform an exploratory analysis to investigate factors related to the survival of these patients. Method: Non-concurrent cohort study, using data from the National Disease Reporting Information System, the laboratory and epidemiological surveillance information systems of the SP-STD Reference and Training Center-CRT, of patients over 13 years of age, followed at the general outpatient clinic. The following variables were studied: hepatitis C, hepatitis B, exposure category, T CD4+ cell count, age group, schooling, color, sex, and AIDS diagnostic periods: 1986 to 1993, 1994 to 1996, 1997 to 2002 and 2003 to 2010. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator and the Cox model, with estimates of the hazard ratio (HR) and respective confidence intervals (95 per cent CI). Results: Of a total of 2,864 individuals included, with a median age of 35 years, 219 died (7.5 per cent ). Of the 358 (12.5 per cent ) HIV/HCV co-infected individuals, 159 (45.1 per cent ) were injecting drug users (IDU), and of the non-co-infected 2,506, 96 (3.9 per cent ) were IDU. The accumulated probability of survival among HIV/HCV co-infected individuals at 60, 168, 168 and 96 months as of AIDS diagnosis, was 100 per cent in the 1986 -1993 period; 27,8 per cent in the 1994-1996 period; 76,3 per cent in the 1997-2002 period; and 92,8 per cent in the 2003-2010 period. The survival curves were different between co-infected and non-co-infected individuals in the 1994-1996 (log rank = 19,8; p < 0,001) and in the 1997-2002 (log rank = 38,8; p < 0,001). In the multivariate model, regardless of other variables, the following were predictors of death: having hepatitis C (HR = 2.9; CI 2.1-3.9); having hepatitis B (HR = 2.5; CI 1.7-3.6); being 50 years old or over (HR = 2.1; CI 1.3-3.2) and having up to 3 years of schooling (HR = 2.3; CI 1.5-3.6). AIDS diagnosis between 1997 and 2010 was shown to be a protective factor for death (HR = 0.4; CI 0.3-0.5). Conclusions: HIV/HCV co-infected individuals had shorter survival, when compared to non-co-infected individuals in the 1994-1996 and in the 1997-2002 AIDS diagnostic periods. As of the 1994-1996 period, a significant increase in the accumulated probability of survival among HIV/HCV co-infected individuals was observed. In the 2003-2010 period, the probability was similar between co-infected and non-coinfected individuals, showing the possible impact of hepatitis treatment

Foram estudados 151 doadores de sangue encaminhados pelo Hemocentro de Ribeirão Preto ao Ambulatório de Hepatites do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto em função de terem apresentado resultados foram positivos para hepatite C nos testes de triagem pré-doação, entre 2001 e 2010. Todos tiveram confirmação diagnóstica mediante uso de técnicas de biologia molecular. No momento de chegada ao Hospital foram entrevistados por uma assistente social ligada ao Núcleo Hospitalar de Epidemiologia, com o objetivo de caracterizá-los segundo variáveis sociodemográficas, estudar fatores de risco presentes e genótipos encontrados. Houve predominância de indivíduos do sexo masculino, com baixos níveis de escolaridade e de estratos sociais menos favorecidos, com idade mediana de 36 anos. Observou-se uma tendência decrescente de infectados ao longo dos anos estudados. O genótipo mais prevalente foi o 1 com percentual de 68,8%, seguido do genótipo 3 (27,0%). Os potenciais fatores de risco mais prevalentes foram história pregressa de hospitalização sem e com cirurgia, multiplicidade de parceiros sexuais no passado, convivência com usuários de drogas, contato com sangue em atendimentos a terceiros, múltiplos parceiros sexuais no presente e contato domiciliar com casos de hepatite. Também com elevadas frequências foram observados os seguintes fatores: antecedente de transfusão sanguínea, uso coletivo de escova de dentes, história de contato sexual com usuários de drogas, frequência a creches na infância e tatuagem. Uso passado de drogas injetáveis e compartilhamento de seringas e agulhas foram relatados por 15,2% e 9,9%, respectivamente. Conclui-se que deve ter ocorrido omissão de inúmeros fatores de risco por ocasião da triagem clínica, possivelmente indicativo do desejo de se utilizar o Banco de Sangue como controle da situação sorológica por parte de parte dos doadores. / 151 blood donators were analyzed sent from the Hemocenter of Ribeirão Preto to the Hepatitis Clinic of the University Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, because these individuals had presented positive results for Hepatitis C in the screening tests for pre-donation, taken between 2001 and 2010. All of them had diagnosis confirmation through the use of molecular biology techniques. At the moment of arrival in the hospital, they were interviewed by a Social Assistant from the Hospital Nucleus of Epidemiology, in order to characterize them according to socio-demographic variables, to study risk factors that might be present, and genotypes found. The predominance was of male individuals, with low school levels, and coming from a less favored social stratum, with a median age of 36 years. There was a decreasing tendency of infected individuals along the years of study. The most prevailing genotype was type 1 with a percentage of 68.8%, followed by the genotype 3 (27.0%). The most prevailing potential risk factors were previous history of hospitalization with and without surgery, multiplicity of sexual partners in the past, acquaintance with drug user, contact with blood on dealing with to third parties, multiple current sexual partners and home contact with hepatitis cases. The following factors were also observed with high frequency: antecedent of blood transfusion, collective use of tooth brush, history of sexual contact with drug users, attendance to day care clinics in childhood and tattoos. Past use of injectable drugs and syringe and needle sharing were reported by 15.2% and 9.9%, respectively. The conclusion was that there must have been the omission of a number of risk factors at the time of the clinical screening, possibly indicating the desire of using the Blood Bank to make control of the serological status by some of the donators

Orientador: Hideko Yamanaka / Banca: Assis Vicente Benedetti / Banca: Antonio Aparecido Pupim Ferreira / Banca: Maria Isabel Pividori Gurgo / Banca: Neiva Sellan Lopes Gonçales / Resumo: No presente trabalho estudou-se a construção de um genossensor e sua viabilidade para compor um dispositivo de análise rápida que pudesse ser aplicado na realização do diagnóstico e genotipagem do vírus da Hepatite C (HCV). Primeiramente otimizou-se uma metodologia para a construção dos eletrodos de carbono impresso, os quais foram empregados como dispositivo transdutor. O genossensor foi, então, construído pela imobilização da sonda de captura na superfície do eletrodo de carbono. A sua superfície foi eletroquimicamente oxidada para a geração de grupos carboxílicos, os quais foram utilizados para a imobilização da proteína estreptavidina (STA). A sonda de captura biotinilada foi, então, imobilizada via interação biotina-STA, sendo os sítios remanescentes da STA bloqueados com biotina. Monitorou-se o evento biológico de hibridização entre a sonda de captura e sua sequência complementar via corrente de oxidação da base nitrogenada guanina. Para tanto foi empregada a técnica de voltametria de onda quadrada. Este genossensor demonstrou alta seletividade frente às sequências de oligonucleotídeos contendo uma e quatro bases não complementares e sequências provenientes de viroses coinfectantes do HCV (HIV e HBV). O genossensor estudado foi aplicado na identificação de amostras provenientes de pacientes HCV positivos (HCV do tipo 1 e 3) e negativos. O estudo das amostras negativas possibilitou a determinação de um valor de cut-off de 37 μA, o qual foi utilizado na genotipagem das amostras classificadas como positivas. Em seguida, construiu-se uma célula de detecção com volume de 25 μL utilizando a cerâmica LTCC (do inglês, Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic). Os eletrodos de trabalho, referência e auxiliar foram confeccionados dentro da célula utilizando tintas condutoras... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In the present work was studied the construction of a genosensor and its availability to compose a device for fast analysis which could be applied in Hepatitis C virus (HCV) diagnose and genotyping. Firstly the methodology for screen printed electrodes' construction was optimized and these electrodes were used as transducer device. Then the genosensor was constructed immobilizing the capture probe on the electrode surface. Thereunto the surface was electrochemically oxidized to carboxylic groups formation, which were used to streptavidin (STA) immobilization. After the biotinilated probe was immobilized through biotin-STA interaction, and the STA reminiscent sites were blocked with biotin solution. Hybridization between the capture probe and its complementary sequence was monitored by means of the guanine oxidation current. Square wave voltammetry was used to this end. The final genosensor showed high selectivity when incubated in solution containing sequences with one and four non complementary nitrogenous bases and also with sequences of coinfecting viruses (HIV e HBV). This genosensor was applied in the identification of samples of HCV positives (HCV type 1 and 3) and negatives patients. This study allowed the determination of the cut-off value (37 μA) which was used in the HCV positive genotyping process. Then a 25 μL detection cell was constructed using LTCC ceramic. The working, reference and auxiliary electrodes were prepared inside the cell by means of conducting inks. The cell electrochemical behavior was evaluated in a standard system (with the redox pair Fe(CN)6 3+/Fe(CN)6 4+). Finally, the genosensor was constructed inside the detection cell using carbon nanotubes as amplifier of the guanine oxidation signal. A very good performance to the conjoint was observed, which means that this... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor