New window into hepatitis B in Africa: Liver sampling combined with single cell omics enables deep and longitudinal assessment of intrahepatic immunity in Zambia.
Taonga MusondaMichael S WallaceHailey PatelOwen P MartinChristopher OetheimerSimutanyi MwakamuiEdford SinkalaBright NsokoloAnnie KanungaGeorg LauerRaymond T ChungGilles WandelerDebika BhattacharyaM Paul KellyNadia AlatrakchiMichael J VinikoorPublished in: The Journal of infectious diseases (2024)
In Lusaka, Zambia, we introduced liver fine needle aspiration (FNA) into a research cohort of adults with treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, with and without HIV coinfection, as well as with acute HBV infection. Over 117 enrollment and 47 longitudinal FNAs (at 1 year follow-up), we established participant acceptability and safety. We also demonstrated the quality of the material through single cell RNA sequencing of selected enrollment FNAs, which revealed a range of immune cells. This approach can drive new insights into HBV immunology, informing cure strategies, and can improve our understanding of HBV natural history in Africa.
Keyphrases
- hepatitis b virus
- single cell
- liver failure
- fine needle aspiration
- rna seq
- high throughput
- ultrasound guided
- antiretroviral therapy
- health insurance
- human immunodeficiency virus
- hiv infected
- hepatitis c virus
- cross sectional
- hiv positive
- healthcare
- intensive care unit
- quality improvement
- hiv testing
- combination therapy