The natural history of non-human GB virus C in captive chimpanzees

Abstract

GB virus C (GBV-C) is a common, non-pathogenic human virus that infects lymphocytes. Persistent GBV-C infection of humans with coexistent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with prolonged survival, and GBV-C replication inhibits HIV replication in vitro. A GBV-C virus variant was identified in chimpanzees in 1998 and was named GBV-Ctrog or GBV-Ccpz. The prevalence and natural history of GBV-C in chimpanzees remains uncharacterized. We examined the sera from 235 captive chimpanzees for the presence of GBV-C viraemia, viral persistence and clearance, E2 antibody kinetics and RNA sequence diversity. Sequences from six isolates shared more sequence identity with GBV-Ccpz than with human GBV-C. The prevalence of GBV-Ccpz viraemia and E2 antibody in chimpanzees (2.5 and 11 %, respectively) was similar to human GBV-C prevalence in healthy human blood donors (1.8 and 9 %, respectively). Persistent GBV-Ccpz infection occurred in two of the six viraemic animals and was documented for 19 years in one animal. Host subspecies troglodyte GBV-C isolates and published verus GBV-C isolates shared a high degree of sequence identity, suggesting that GBV-C in chimpanzees should be identified with a chimpanzee designation (GBV-Ccpz). The prevalence and natural history of chimpanzee GBV-C variant (GBV-Ccpz) appears to be similar to human GBV-C infection. The chimpanzee could serve as an animal model to study HIV–GBV-C co-infection.

Pegivirus avoids immune recognition but does not attenuate acute-phase disease in a macaque model of HIV infection

“…One interpretation of these findings could be that, unlike HIV+HPgV co-infection in humans, SPgV does not protect macaques from SIV disease. While this is possible, studies of SPgV in non-human primates have shown that the biology of this virus closely mirrors HPgV in humans [ 1 , 16 , 17 , 19 , 31 ]. The progression of SIV infection in macaques also closely mirrors that of HIV infection in humans, and so it appears that SIV+SPgV infection in macaques is a close approximation of HIV+HPgV in humans.…”

“…In addition to the observed protective effect of HPgV co-infection in HIV+ people, pegiviruses are able to evade the host immune system and maintain persistent infection via an unknown mechanism [ 17 , 31 , 33 – 36 ]. Thus, we studied immune responses to SPgV (and immune responses to SIV in SIV+SPgV co-infection animals) in detail.…”

Chimpanzee GB virus C and GB virus A E2 envelope glycoproteins contain a peptide motif that inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication in human CD4+ T-cells

“…Characterization of the GBV-Ccpz E2 coding sequence. Serum samples from two chimpanzees previously shown to be chronically infected with GBV-C (Mohr et al, 2011) were obtained at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio, TX. RNA was extracted by Qiagen Mini RNAeasy kit (Qiagen) for RT-PCR and sequence analysis was carried out as previously described (Xiang et al, 2000).…”

Discovery of a Novel Simian Pegivirus in Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) with Lymphocytic Enterocolitis

“…Pegiviruses, members of genus Pegivirus (Amarillovirales : Flaviviridae) , are ubiquitous in animal populations [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ], but their biological consequences are poorly understood. Pegiviruses can persist at high titers for years or decades in humans [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ] and chimpanzees [ 41 ] with an unusually low mutation rate compared to other RNA viruses [ 38 , 42 ], and they have never been shown to be the causative agent of any disease [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 ]. Apparent links between pegiviruses and disease, such as that initially posited for Theiler’s disease-associated virus (TDAV) and Theiler’s disease [ 61 , 62 ], have later been shown to be more likely spurious [ 35 , 63 ].…”