Characterization of Hepatitis B Virus and Human Immunodeficiency Virus among HIV/HBV Co-Infected Patients from the Republic of Guinea

Aim. Molecular genetic characterization of hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus in patients with HIV / HBV co-infection living in the Republic of Guinea. Materials and methods. 2168 blood serum samples obtained from the Republic of Guinea residents – blood donors and conditionally healthy people, without suspicion of Ebola virus disease, UK RUSAL employees and their families, as part of their routine medical examination. The presence of serological and molecular biological markers of HIV and HBV was examined. When HIV/HBV co-infection was detected, the nucleotide sequences of the complete HBV genomes and the HIV pol gene fragment were sequenced. Results and discussion. HIVserological markers were detected in 239 people (11.02 %). HIV RNA was detected in 31 people, which accounted for 12.9 % of patients in the seropositive group (1.43 % of the total group). HBV serological markers among HIV RNAs-positive individuals were detected in 29.03 % of patients, including 16.12 % HBsAg and 12.9 % anti-HBcore IgG. HBV DNA was detected in all HBsAg-positive and in two anti-HBcore IgG-positive patients, as well as in 12 people negative for all HBV serological markers analyzed in the work. Thus, HBV DNA was found in 61.29 % of HIV RNA-positive individuals. Based on the pol gene fragment nucleotide sequences analysis of 19 HIV samples, it was shown that the HIV circulating recombinant form CRF02_AG  prevails in the examined group (52.63 %) compared with HIV A1 (42.1 %), one sample was an independent recombinant of genotypes A1 and G. HBV phylogenetic analysis of the studied samples showed that genotype E prevails – 47.36 %, compared with HBV D1 – 21.05 %, D2 – 15.78 %, D3 – 10.52 % and A2 – 5.26 %. HIV and HBV samples have been detected that carry drug resistance mutations despite the antiretroviral therapy absence. HIV and HBV drug resistance mutations identification in ART-naive patients emphasizes the need for HIV surveillance programs as well as routine testing for HBV and HIV and HBV drug resistance before starting antiretroviral therapy in the clinical management of patients in the country.

human immunodeficiency virus, HIV, hepatitis B virus, HBV, latent hepatitis B, Republic of Guinea

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