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What does quantitative HBsAg level mean in chronic hepatitis D infection? Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 35:320-326. [PMID: 36708303 DOI: 10.1097/meg.0000000000002489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection, which is an important etiological cause of chronic liver disease, the relationship between serum quantitative HBsAg level and fibrosis and histological activity was investigated. METHODS Between 2014 and 2020, 98 patients with chronic HDV infection (53 noncirrhotic, 45 cirrhotic) participated in this prospectively designed study. Quantitative HBsAg levels of the patients were measured and their relationship with the stage of chronic liver disease was compared with histological activity index (HAI), fibrosis score and HDV RNA, model for end-stage liver disease score and other biochemical parameters. RESULTS All patients were infected with genotype 1 (100%). HBeAg was positive in 8 (8.1%) of the patients. A correlation was found between quantitative HBsAg level and HDV RNA level in patients with both cirrhotic (r = 0.568; P < 0.001) and noncirrhotic (r = 0.644; P < 0.001) HDV infection. Alanine transaminase (P = 0.001; r = 0.495) and aspartate transaminase (P = 0.001; r = 0.511) levels correlated with quantitative HBsAg levels, more prominently in noncirrhotic patients. There was a correlation between quantitative HBsAg level and histological activity index (HAI) in patients with noncirrhotic HDV infection (P < 0.001; r = 0.664). In receiver operating characteristic analysis, both quantitative HBsAg (for cutoff: 1000; sensitivity 76%; specificity 17%; P = 0.335) and HDV RNA (for cutoff: 100000; sensitivity 2%; specificity 98%; P = 0.096) were not predictive markers for cirrhosis. CONCLUSION Quantitative HBsAg level can be evaluated as an indicator of viral replication and histological activity in patients with chronic delta hepatitis without cirrhosis. We think that quantitative HBsAg level will be useful in the management of chronic HDV infection, especially in noncirrhotic patients.
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The Prognostic Value of Serum HBV-RNA during Hepatitis B Virus Infection is Related to Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure. Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 2022:8422242. [PMID: 36148157 PMCID: PMC9489391 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8422242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Serum HBV-RNA levels can predict antiviral response in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients; however, its role in HBV-related ACLF (HBV-ACLF) remains unclear. Here, we determined its implications for HBV-ACLF. METHODS Baseline serum HBV-RNA levels were retrospectively detected in HBV-ACLF and CHB patients. The association of serum HBV-RNA level with clinical outcomes was evaluated by performing multiple logistic regression. A nomogram was developed to formulate an algorithm incorporating serum HBV-RNA for predicting the survival of HBV-ACLF patients. After being discharged from the hospital, the HBV-ACLF patients were followed up for 36 weeks. RESULTS In this study, 82 HBV-ACLF patients and 33 CHB patients were included. Serum HBV-RNA levels were significantly higher in CHB patients than in HBV-ACLF patients (4.15 ± 2.63 log10 copies/mL VS 5.37 ± 2.02 log10 copies/mL) (P < 0.05). Among the HBV-ACLF cases, patients with poor outcomes had lower serum HBV-RNA levels, but the difference was not significant. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the serum HBV-RNA inclusive model was 0.745, superior to 0.66 from MELD scores (P < 0.05). During the follow-up for four weeks, the serum HBV-RNA levels, especially in the survival group, were found to be lower than the baseline levels. CONCLUSIONS Serum HBV-RNA levels were associated with disease severity and might predict the long-term clinical outcome of HBV-ACLF patients.
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Gonçalves A, Lemenuel-Diot A, Cosson V, Jin Y, Feng S, Bo Q, Guedj J. What drives the dynamics of HBV RNA during treatment? J Viral Hepat 2021; 28:383-392. [PMID: 33074571 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.13425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus RNA (HBV RNA)-containing particles are encapsidated pre-genomic RNA (pgRNA) detectable in chronically infected patients in addition to virions (HBV DNA) that have been suggested as a marker of the treatment efficacy. This makes promising the use of core protein allosteric modulators, such as RG7907, which disrupt the nucleocapsid assembly and profoundly reduce HBV RNA. Here, we developed a multiscale model of HBV extending the standard viral dynamic models to analyse the kinetics of HBV DNA and HBV RNA in 35 patients treated with RG7907 for 28 days. We compare the predictions with those obtained in patients treated with the nucleotide analog tenofovir. RG7907 blocked 99.3% of pgRNA encapsidation (range: 92.1%-99.9%) which led to a decline of both HBV DNA and HBV RNA. As a consequence of its mode of action, the first phase of decline of HBV RNA was rapid, uncovering the clearance of viral particles with half-life of 45 min. In contrast, HBV DNA decline was predicted to be less rapid, due to the continuous secretion of already formed viral capsids (t1/2 = 17 ± 6 h). After few days, both markers declined at the same rate, which was attributed to the loss of infected cells (t1/2 ≅ 6 ± 0.8 days). By blocking efficiently RNA reverse transcription but not its encapsidation, nucleotide analog in contrast was predicted to lead to a transient accumulation of HBV RNA both intracellularly and extracellularly. The model brings a conceptual framework for understanding the differences between HBV DNA and HBV RNA dynamics. Integration of HBV RNA in viral dynamic models may be helpful to better quantify the treatment effect, especially in viral-suppressed patients where HBV DNA is no longer detectable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Annabelle Lemenuel-Diot
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Valérie Cosson
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yuyan Jin
- Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Sheng Feng
- Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingyan Bo
- I2O DTA, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Shanghai, China
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Wang X, Chi X, Wu R, Xu H, Gao X, Yu L, Liu L, Zhang M, Tan Y, Niu J, Jin Q. Serum HBV RNA correlated with intrahepatic cccDNA more strongly than other HBV markers during peg-interferon treatment. Virol J 2021; 18:4. [PMID: 33407619 PMCID: PMC7789711 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-020-01471-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Serum hepatitis B virus RNA (HBV RNA) has been reported to be a surrogate marker of intrahepatic cccDNA during nucleos(t)ide analogs therapy. However, in HBeAg-positive patients treated with peg-interferon (peg-IFN), whether HBV RNA is superior to other HBV markers in reflecting cccDNA profile is still unclear. METHODS Serum HBV RNA, HBcrAg, HBV DNA, and HBsAg were longitudinally assessed among 30 HBeAg-positive patients during 48-week peg-IFN treatment. Besides, intrahepatic cccDNA was detected at baseline and week 48 respectively. Then, the individual correlations between HBV RNA, HBcrAg, HBV DNA, HBsAg, and cccDNA were statistically analyzed. RESULTS HBV RNA levels decreased more rapidly in patients with HBeAg seroconversion than those without HBeAg seroconversion. Among all patients, cccDNA correlated better with HBV RNA than with HBcrAg, HBV DNA, and HBsAg at baseline. After 48 weeks peg-IFN treatment, cccDNA still correlated more strongly with HBV RNA than other HBV markers. Further analysis indicated that in patients with HBeAg seroconversion cccDNA strongly correlated with HBV RNA and HBcrAg, whereas not correlate with HBV DNA and HBsAg. While in patients without HBeAg seroconversion, cccDNA highly correlated with HBV RNA and HBV DNA, moderately correlated with HBcrAg, and not correlated with HBsAg. CONCLUSION Compared to HBcrAg, HBV DNA, and HBsAg, serum HBV RNA correlated more strongly with intrahepatic cccDNA levels before and after 48-week peg-IFN treatment. The level of serum HBV RNA may be a superior surrogate marker in reflecting the intrahepatic cccDNA profile in HBeAg-positive patients during peg-IFN treatment. Trial registration ClinicalTrials, NCT03546530. Registered 1 January 2015. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=NCT03546530 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Wang
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Xiumei Chi
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Ruihong Wu
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Hongqin Xu
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Xiuzhu Gao
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Lei Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fourth Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Longgen Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Hospital of Changzhou, Changzhou, 213001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Mingxiang Zhang
- Department of Hepatology, Shenyang Sixth People's Hospital, Shenyang, 110006, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Youwen Tan
- Department of Hepatology, The Third People's Hospital of Zhenjiang, Zhenjiang, 212021, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Junqi Niu
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Qinglong Jin
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin Province, China.
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Wang X, Wang Z, Chi X, Wu R, Jin Q, Xu H, Gao X, Yu L, Chen Y, Shang J, Liu L, Zhang S, Jiang Y, Zhang M, Tong Q, Zhang L, Tan Y, Ma A, Dang S, Xu B, Jin Z, Li J, Li X, Lu F, Niu J. Efficacy of a combination of HBV RNA and HBeAg in predicting HBeAg seroconversion in patients treated with entecavir for 144 weeks. Int J Infect Dis 2020; 99:171-178. [PMID: 32721532 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In some previous studies, serum hepatitis B virus RNA (HBV RNA) was proposed as an HBV viral marker during therapy. However, the dynamic change of HBV RNA, the correlation of HBV RNA with cccDNA, and the combination of HBV RNA with known HBV markers in predicting entecavir (ETV) treatment outcome in the same cohort are rarely reported. METHODS A total of 111 HBeAg-positive patients were enrolled in our study. The dynamic changes of serum HBV RNA and the correlation of HBV RNA with other HBV markers were investigated in the early treatment period of 144-week ETV treatment. Intrahepatic cccDNA was detected at baseline and week 48. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to identify HBV RNA levels associated with HBeAg seroconversion. RESULTS The serum HBV RNA levels decreased more rapidly in patients with HBeAg seroconversion than those without HBeAg seroconversion. The levels of HBV RNA decreased slower compared with the serum HBV DNA, irrespective of whether the patients achieved HBeAg seroconversion or not. Although the serum HBV RNA was positively correlated with cccDNA at baseline among all patients, no significant correlation was observed in the patients with HBeAg seroconversion at week 48 (r=0.094, P=0.588). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of HBV RNA and HBeAg at week 24 was 0.754 and 0.800, respectively. The AUROC of the HBV RNA and HBeAg combination had a higher value (AUROC=0.821). CONCLUSIONS The level of HBV RNA at week 24 was a powerful predictor of HBeAg seroconversion in HBeAg-positive patients after 144-week ETV treatment, while the combination of HBV RNA and HBeAg was superior to HBV RNA alone in predicting HBeAg seroconversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Wang
- Department of Hepatology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhongfeng Wang
- Department of Hepatology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiumei Chi
- Department of Hepatology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ruihong Wu
- Department of Hepatology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Qinglong Jin
- Department of Hepatology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hongqin Xu
- Department of Hepatology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiuzhu Gao
- Department of Hepatology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lei Yu
- Department of Hepatology, Fourth Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yuping Chen
- Department of Hepatology, Baoding Infectious Disease Hospital, Baoding, China
| | - Jia Shang
- Department of Hepatology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Longgen Liu
- Department of Hepatology, Changzhou Third People's Hospital, Changzhou, China
| | - Shuqin Zhang
- Department of Hepatology, Hepatology Hospital of Jilin Province, Changchun, China
| | - Yongfang Jiang
- Department of Hepatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Mingxiang Zhang
- Department of Infectious Disease, Shenyang Sixth People's Hospital, Shenyang, China
| | - Qiaoxia Tong
- Department of Infectious Disease, Union Hospital Affiliated with Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lunli Zhang
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Youwen Tan
- Department of Hepatology, The Third People's Hospital of Zhenjiang, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Anlin Ma
- Department of Infectious Disease, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shuangsuo Dang
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Bin Xu
- Department of Hepatology, Beijing You'an Hoapital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenjing Jin
- Department of Hepatology, the Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jia Li
- Department of Hepatology, the Second Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjing, China
| | - Xiaobo Li
- Department of Hepatology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Fengmin Lu
- Department of Microbiology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
| | - Junqi Niu
- Department of Hepatology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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In Vitro Studies Show that Sequence Variability Contributes to Marked Variation in Hepatitis B Virus Replication, Protein Expression, and Function Observed across Genotypes. J Virol 2016; 90:10054-10064. [PMID: 27512071 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01293-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) exists as 9 major genotypes (A to I), one minor strain (designated J) and multiple subtypes. Marked differences in HBV natural history, disease progression and treatment response are exhibited by many of these genotypes and subtypes. For example, HBV genotype C is associated with later hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion and high rates of liver cancer compared to other HBV genotypes, whereas genotype A2 is rarely associated with HBeAg-negative disease or liver cancer. The reasons for these and other differences in HBV natural history are yet to be determined but could in part be due to sequence differences in the HBV genome that alter replicative capacity and/or gene expression. Direct comparative studies on HBV replication and protein expression have been limited to date due largely to the absence of infectious HBV cDNA clones for each of the HBV genotypes present in the same genetic arrangement. We have produced replication-competent infectious cDNA clones of the most common subtypes of genotypes A to D, namely, A2, B2, C2, D3, and the minor strain J, and compared their HBV replication phenotype using transient-transfection models. We identified striking differences in HBV replicative capacity as well as HBeAg and surface (HBsAg) protein expression across genotypes, which may in part be due to sequence variability in regulatory regions of the HBV genome. Functional analysis showed that sequence differences in the major upstream regulatory region across genotypes impacted promoter activity. IMPORTANCE There have been very few studies directly comparing the replication phenotype of different HBV genotypes, for which there are marked differences in natural history and disease progression worldwide. We have generated replication-competent 1.3-mer cDNA clones of the major genotypes A2, B2, C2, and D3, as well as a recently identified strain J, and identified striking differences in replicative capacity and protein expression that may contribute to some of the observed differences in HBV natural history observed globally.
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Su M, Xiang K, Li Y, Li Y, Deng J, Xu X, Yan L, Zhuang H, Li T. Higher detection rates of amino acid substitutions in HBV reverse transcriptase/surface protein overlapping sequence is correlated with lower serum HBV DNA and HBsAg levels in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients with subgenotype B2. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2016; 40:275-281. [DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Revised: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Role of serum hepatitis B virus marker quantitation to differentiate natural history phases of HBV infection. Hepatol Int 2015; 10:133-8. [PMID: 26427997 DOI: 10.1007/s12072-015-9657-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to characterize roles of serum hepatitis B virus marker quantitation in differentiation of natural phases of HBV infection. METHODS A total of 184 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were classified into four categories: immune tolerant phase (IT, n = 36), immune clearance phase (IC, n = 81), low-replicative phase (LR, n = 31), and HBeAg-negative hepatitis phase (ENH, n = 36), based on clinical, biochemical, serological, HBV DNA level and histological data. RESULTS Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) quantitation in four phases were 4.7 ± 0.2, 3.8 ± 0.5, 2.5 ± 1.2 and 3.4 ± 0.4 log10 IU/mL, respectively. There were significant differences between IT and IC (p < 0.001) and between LR and ENH phases (p < 0.001). Quantitation of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) in IT and IC phases are 1317.9 ± 332.9 and 673.4 ± 562.1 S/CO, respectively (p < 0.001). Hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) quantitation in the four groups were 9.48 ± 3.3, 11.7 ± 2.8, 11.2 ± 2.6 and 13.2 ± 2.9 S/CO, respectively. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) of HBsAg and HBeAg at cutoff values of 4.41 log10 IU/mL and 1118.96 S/CO for differentiation of IT and IC phases are 0.984 and 0.828, with sensitivity 94.4 and 85.2 %, specificity 98.7 and 75 %, respectively. AUCs of HBsAg and HBcAb at cutoff values of 3.4 log10 IU/mL and 10.5 S/CO for differentiation of LR and ENT phases are 0.796 and 0.705, with sensitivity 58.1 and 85.7 %, and specificity 94.4 and 46.2 %, respectively. CONCLUSIONS HBsAg quantitation has high predictive value and HBeAg quantitation has moderate predictive value for discriminating IT and IC phase. HBsAg and HBcAb quantitations have moderate predictive values for differentiation of LR and ENH phase.
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Freitas N, Lukash T, Dudek M, Litwin S, Menne S, Gudima SO. Capacity of a natural strain of woodchuck hepatitis virus, WHVNY, to induce acute infection in naive adult woodchucks. Virus Res 2015; 205:12-21. [PMID: 25979221 PMCID: PMC4470744 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2015] [Revised: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) is often used as surrogate to study mechanism of HBV infection. Currently, most infections are conducted using strains WHV7 or WHV8 that have very high sequence identity. This study focused on natural strain WHVNY that is more genetically distant from WHV7. Three naive adult woodchucks inoculated with WHVNY developed productive acute infection with long lasting viremia. However, only one of two woodchucks infected with WHV7 at the same multiplicity demonstrated productive liver infection. Quantification of intracellular WHV RNA and DNA replication intermediates; percentages of core antigen-positive hepatocytes; and serum relaxed circular DNA showed that strains WHVNY and WHV7 displayed comparable replication levels and capacities to induce acute infection in naive adult woodchucks. Strain WHVNY was therefore validated as valuable reagent to analyze the mechanism of hepadnavirus infection, especially in co- and super-infection settings, which required discrimination between two related virus genomes replicating in the same liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Freitas
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
| | - Tetyana Lukash
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
| | - Megan Dudek
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
| | - Sam Litwin
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA.
| | - Stephan Menne
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3900 Reservoir Road, N.W., Washington, DC 20057, USA.
| | - Severin O Gudima
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
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