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Combinations of two drugs among NS3/4A inhibitors, NS5B inhibitors and non-selective antiviral agents are effective for hepatitis C virus with NS5A-P32 deletion in humanized-liver mice

  • Original Article—Liver, Pancreas, and Biliary Tract
  • Published:
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Abstract

Background

The emergence of a deletion mutant at hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5A-P32 (P32del) has recently been reported in a subset of chronic hepatitis C patients who experience virologic failure after direct-acting antiviral drug (DAA) treatment. This mutation confers extremely high resistance to NS5A inhibitors. No effective treatment has been established for cases with this mutation.

Methods

We used a JFH1-based recombinant virus with NS5A from a genotype 1b strain to introduce a P32del mutation. We inoculated human hepatocyte chimeric mice with sera from a patient with ledipasvir/sofosbuvir therapy failure carrying a genotype 1b HCV with NS5A L31M and P32del or from a DAA-naïve patient carrying wild-type virus.

Results

JFH1-based chimeric viruses with P32del showed sufficient levels of replication for in vitro assay despite the suppression of viral growth and infectious virus production. Variants with P32del exhibited severe resistance to all tested NS5A inhibitors, including daclatasvir, ledipasvir, elbasvir and velpatasvir, but were as susceptible to NS3/4A inhibitors, NS5B inhibitors, interferon alfa-2b, and ribavirin as wild-type viruses in the in vitro assay. The P32del mutant virus caused persistent infection in all inoculated chimeric mice with high viral titer and frequency. The virus was resistant to the ledipasvir/GS-558093 (a nucleotide analog inhibitor of NS5B polymerase) regimen but susceptible to either simeprevir plus GS-558093 or peg-interferon alfa-2b, compared to the wild-type virus.

Conclusion

Therapies combining at least two drugs among NS3/4A inhibitors, NS5B inhibitors and non-selective antiviral agents may be effective for HCV-infected patients with NS5A-P32del.

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Abbreviations

HCV:

Hepatitis C virus

DAA:

Direct-acting antiviral drug

RASs:

Resistance-associated substitutions

VF:

Virologic failure

P32del:

NS5A-P32 deletion mutant

TK-NOG:

Thymidine kinase transgene

SVR:

Sustained viral response

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Gilead Sciences Inc. (Foster City, CA, USA) for providing ledipasvir and GS-558093. This work was partly supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Research on Hepatitis from the Japanese Agency for Medical Research and Development (JP18fk0210021, JP18fk0210002, JP18fk0210025), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology-Japan (JP16H05285), and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JP17K19647).

Disclosure

Dr. Tetsuo Takehara has received grants from Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb, MSD K.K., AbbVie Inc. and Gilead Sciences. Dr. Tetsuo Takehara is on the speakers’ bureau for Bristol-Myers Squibb, MSD K.K., AbbVie Inc. and Gilead Sciences. Dr. Hayato Hikita has received grants from Bristol–Myers Squibb and MSD K.K. Dr. Ryotaro Sakamori and Dr. Tomohide Tatsumi have received grants from MSD K.K. Dr. Takahiro Kodama has received grants from MSD K.K. and Gilead Sciences. Dr. Yasuhiro Asahina belongs to a donation-funded department funded by Toray Industries Inc., Gilead Sciences, AbbVie GK, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Fuji Rebio Inc., and Merck Sharp & Dohme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Akira Doi, Hayato Hikita, Yugo Kai, Yuki Tahata, Yoshinobu Saito, Tasuku Nakabori, Ryoko Yamada, Takahiro Kodama, Ryotaro Sakamori, Tomohide Tatsumi & Tetsuo Takehara

  2. Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan

    Asako Murayama & Takanobu Kato

  3. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 4-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8519, Japan

    Sayuri Nitta & Yasuhiro Asahina

  4. Department of Liver Disease Control, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 4-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8519, Japan

    Yasuhiro Asahina

  5. Department of Laboratory Animal Research, Central Institute for Experimental Animals, 3-25-12 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-0821, Japan

    Hiroshi Suemizu

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  1. Akira Doi
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Correspondence to Tetsuo Takehara.

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535_2018_1541_MOESM1_ESM.pptx

Supplementary material 1. Susceptibility of JFH1/5ACon1-wt, JFH1/5ACon1 with P32del (P32del), and JFH1/5ACon1 with L31M-P32del (L31M+P32del). Huh7.5.1 cells were electroporated with in vitro-transcribed HCV RNA. Four hours after electroporation, the culture media were replaced with fresh media containing NS5A inhibitors (A), NS3/4A inhibitors (B), NS5B inhibitors (C), and other inhibitors (D). After incubation for 72 hours, the cells were harvested, and the intracellular HCV core Ag levels were measured. The data are presented as percentages of the DMSO-treated control. Black circles indicate the HCV core Ag levels in JFH/5ACon1-wt. Red squares indicate the HCV core Ag levels in P32del. Blue diamonds indicate the HCV core Ag levels in L31M+P32del.

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Doi, A., Hikita, H., Kai, Y. et al. Combinations of two drugs among NS3/4A inhibitors, NS5B inhibitors and non-selective antiviral agents are effective for hepatitis C virus with NS5A-P32 deletion in humanized-liver mice. J Gastroenterol 54, 449–458 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-018-01541-x

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