VHC - Virus Hépatologie Cancer | HENRI MONDOR

Thematic

The activities of the NRC concerning viral hepatitis B, C, and delta are divided into three complementary axes that cover the fields of hepatitis virology, from technological investigation to clinical and translational research.

These axes are:

• Technological expertise: development, standardization, and evaluation of the intrinsic performance and indications of tests and new virological technologies for diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of chronic viral hepatitis.
• Molecular epidemiology: molecular epidemiology and surveillance of hepatitis B and C viruses in the framework of the NCR Viral Hepatitis B, C, and Delta program. We provide the virological component of numerous national epidemiological surveys in association with Public Health France (SpF).
• Clinical and translational research: study of the natural genetic variability associated with the antiviral chemotherapy of hepatitis B and C viruses. Therapeutic failure and the resistance of HBV and HCV to antiviral molecules constitutes one of the main topics of the laboratory and the INSERM group associated with it, both its clinical and fundamental aspects (the study of the molecular mechanisms of efficacy and failure of antiviral treatment).

Technological expertise

Several evaluations of virological diagnostic tests for HCV and HBV have been conducted in partnership with the manufacturers who developed them. They include: molecular biology techniques applied to the detection and/or quantification of HCV RNA and HBV DNA by real time PCR or TMA; and techniques for typing viral genomes by reverse hybridization or sequencing to identify viral genotype and subtype or resistance mutations after nucleotide sequence analysis (direct sequencing methods, high throughput sequencing). The development of alternative diagnostic methods (rapid diagnostic orientation tests) on blood samples for screening and diagnosis of viral hepatitis is in full swing.

The kits evaluated during 2016 are presented in the table below:

Molecular epidemiology

The virology laboratory, in collaboration with the INSERM research group, has developed all the tools for molecular typing and genome analysis of HBV and HCV (PCR, cloning, classical and high throughput sequencing, and genetic and phylogenetic analyses) needed for the virology component of many national epidemiological surveys in association with SpF.

Examples of the studies are presented in the table below:

Clinical and translational research

Genotypic and phenotypic studies of hepatitis virus resistance to antivirals

Publications

Performance of rapid diagnostic tests for the detection of anti-HBs in various patient populations
J Clin Virol. 2017
The New Aptima HCV Quant Dx Real-time TMA Assay Accurately Quantifies Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1-6 RNA
J Clin Virol. 2017
Dried Blood Spots: A Tool to Ensure Broad Access to Hepatitis C Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Monitoring
J Infect Dis. 2016
New virologic tools for management of chronic hepatitis B and C
Gastroenterology 2012
Evaluation of a new random-access HBV DNA molecular assay: The VERIS HBV assay
J Clin Virol. 2017
Approaches for simplified HCV diagnostic algorithms
JIAS 2017

Team Members

• Nazim Ahnou, Research Ingeneer
  
• Valérie Ortonne, Senior Technician
  
• Lila Poiteau, Senior Technician
  
• Alexandre Soulier, Senior Hospital Ingeneer
  

Collaborations

• AC33 : Hépatites : virology, résistance,  biotechnological innovations, ANRS
• Francis Barin, NRC human immunodeficiency virus - CHU Tours
• Emmanuel Gordien, Laboratoire Associated : Hépatitis delta - Avicenne Hospital
  
• Karine Lacombe, Saint-Antoine Hospital
  
• Syria Laperche, INTS, NRC  infectious transfusion risks
  
• Maud Lemoine, St Mary’s hospital - Imperial College London
• Richard Njouom, Cameroun Pasteur Institute
  
• Mohamed Zameer, St Mary’s hospital - Imperial College London