First detection of human hepegivirus-1 (HHpgV-1) in Iranian patients with hemophilia

Abstract

A novel blood-borne virus called the human hepegivirus 1 (HHpgV-1) was recently discovered in hemophilia patients. The present study aimed to investigate the presence of HHpgV-1 in hemophilia patients. A total of 436 serum samples were investigated for the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV), human pegivirus-1 (HPgV-1), torque teno virus (TTV), and HHpgV-1. Out of the 436 patients, 163 (37.4%), 19 (4.4%), 76 (17.4%), and four (0.9%) patients were positive for HCV, HPgV-1, TTV, and HHpgV-1, respectively. HHpgV-1 patients had a mean viral load of 4.9 ± 0.3 log RNA copies/mL and were co-infected with HCV-1a, HPgV-1, and TTV. Moreover, three HHpgV-1-positive patients exhibited stage F0 liver fibrosis. HCV viral load in HHpgV-1-positive patients was lower than those of HHpgV-1-negative patients. Results also revealed that co-infection of HHpgV-1 with HPgV-1 and HCV may play a protective role in patients with chronic HCV. In conclusion, we detected a low frequency of HHpgV-1 infection in hemophilia patients, and results suggested that HHpgV-1 infection was correlated with the presence of other blood-borne viruses and is likely to also correlate with low HCV viral load and reduced severity of liver disease. Additional studies are required to further investigate the clinical importance of HHpgV-1.

Hepatitis C virus surveillance and identification of human pegivirus 2 in a large Cameroonian cohort

“…The strains identified in Cameroon are most closely related to a US strain with two serial bleeds from a single individual (ABT0035P/ABT0041P) . The sequence identities of the Cameroonian HPgV‐2 strains compared to this US strain (91.3%, K4583; 96%, D2931) and to others overall (93%, K8543; 94%, D2931) are consistent with previous reports . HPgV‐2 infections were not restricted to a single site in our study; rather, a total of 9 collection sites had specimens that were seropositive for HPgV‐2, suggesting that the prevalence reported here is not due to a location‐specific outbreak (Figure ).…”

“…Human pegivirus 2 (HPgV‐2) is a newly identified virus that is most closely related to rodent and bat pegiviruses, sharing <32% amino acid identity with these relatives, HPgV‐2 infections have been identified in plasma specimens from the USA, UK, Germany, Iran and China, indicating that this virus is already present on at least 3 continents. The expansion of HPgV‐2 surveillance to additional parts of the world will determine the prevalence and extent of genetic diversity of HPgV‐2.…”

“…Although a direct measurement has not been made in Cameroon, a prediction model estimates the prevalence of HCV RNA in Cameroon to be 0.7%, 7 which is similar to the rate of 0.9% (95% CI: 0.3%-1.6%) recently observed in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo. 8 Human pegivirus 2 (HPgV-2) is a newly identified virus that is most closely related to rodent and bat pegiviruses, sharing <32% amino acid identity with these relatives, 9,10 HPgV-2 infections have been identified in plasma specimens from the USA, UK, Germany, Iran and China, [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] indicating that this virus is already present on at least 3 continents. The expansion of HPgV-2 surveillance to additional parts of the world will determine the prevalence and extent of genetic diversity of HPgV-2.…”

Semi‐quantitative duplex RT ‐ PCR reveals the low occurrence of Porcine Pegivirus and Atypical Porcine Pestivirus in diagnostic samples from the United States

“…Human pegivirus is prevalent in 5% of the world's population and was reported as co‐infections with other viruses, such as hepatitis C virus and HIV infected individuals (Berg et al., ; Jordier et al., ; N'Guessan et al., ; Schwarze‐Zander, Blackard, & Rockstroh, ; Wang et al., ). In addition, human pegivirus strains can be associated with febrile illness, haemophilia, acute mycocarditis and lymphoma (Bijvand et al., ; Fama et al., ; Takeuchi et al., ; Williams et al., ). In horses, a pathogenic pegivirus ‘Theiler disease‐associated virus’ (TDAV) and non‐pathogenic equine pegivirus (EPgV) have been identified indicating not all strains of pegivirus are pathogenic (Kapoor et al., ; Smith, Chalmers, & Wedel, ; Sturgeon, ).…”

“…The 2012;Wang et al, 2018). In addition, human pegivirus strains can be associated with febrile illness, haemophilia, acute mycocarditis and lymphoma (Bijvand et al, 2018;Fama et al, 2018;Takeuchi et al, 2018;Williams et al, 2018). In horses, a pathogenic pegivirus 'Theiler disease-associated virus' (TDAV) and non-pathogenic equine pegivirus (EPgV) have been identified indicating not all strains of pegivirus are pathogenic (Kapoor et al, 2013;Smith, Chalmers, & Wedel, 1991;Sturgeon, 2017).…”