Hepatitis B Virus Research in South Africa

Mohube B Maepa; Abdullah Ely; Anna Kramvis; Kristie Bloom; Kubendran Naidoo; Omphile E Simani; Tongai G Maponga; Patrick Arbuthnot

doi:10.3390/v14091939

Hepatitis B Virus Research in South Africa

Viruses. 2022 Aug 31;14(9):1939. doi: 10.3390/v14091939.

Authors

Mohube B Maepa¹, Abdullah Ely¹, Anna Kramvis², Kristie Bloom¹, Kubendran Naidoo^{1

3}, Omphile E Simani⁴, Tongai G Maponga⁵, Patrick Arbuthnot¹

Affiliations

¹ Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Oncology Research Institute (IDORI), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa.
² Hepatitis Diversity Research Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa.
³ National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa.
⁴ HIV and Hepatitis Research Unit, Department of Virology, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0204, South Africa.
⁵ Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7602, South Africa.

Abstract

Despite being vaccine-preventable, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains the seventh leading cause of mortality in the world. In South Africa (SA), over 1.9 million people are chronically infected with HBV, and 70% of all Black chronic carriers are infected with HBV subgenotype A1. The virus remains a significant burden on public health in SA despite the introduction of an infant immunization program implemented in 1995 and the availability of effective treatment for chronic HBV infection. In addition, the high prevalence of HIV infection amplifies HBV replication, predisposes patients to chronicity, and complicates management of the infection. HBV research has made significant progress leading to better understanding of HBV epidemiology and management challenges in the SA context. This has led to recent revision of the national HBV infection management guidelines. Research on developing new vaccines and therapies is underway and progress has been made with designing potentially curative gene therapies against HBV. This review summarizes research carried out in SA on HBV molecular biology, epidemiology, treatment, and vaccination strategies.

Keywords: HBV; HBV/HIV co-infection; gene therapy; occult HBV infection; vaccination.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

HIV Infections* / complications
HIV Infections* / epidemiology
Hepatitis B Vaccines / therapeutic use
Hepatitis B virus / genetics
Hepatitis B* / complications
Hepatitis B* / epidemiology
Hepatitis B* / prevention & control
Humans
Infant
South Africa / epidemiology

Substances

Hepatitis B Vaccines

Grants and funding

Research in the Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit is supported by the South African National Research Foundation (Unique Grant Numbers: 120383), the Poliomyelitis Research Foundation, the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) through its Division of Research Capacity Development under the Research Capacity Development Initiative from funding received from the South African National Treasury, and extramural unit baseline funding from the SAMRC with funds also received from the SAMRC/National Department of Health as part of the mRNA Technology Transfer Hub. The content and findings reported/illustrated are the sole deduction, view, and responsibility of the researcher and do not reflect the official position and sentiments of the SAMRC. Research in the Hepatitis Diversity Research Unit is supported by the Cancer Association of South Africa, Deutsche Forschungsgemainschaft (German Research Foundation), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, National Research Foundation of South Africa, Poliomyelitis Research Foundation, South African Medical Research Council, and University of the Witwatersrand. Research in the HIV and Hepatitis Research Unit is funded by National Research Foundation of South Africa and Poliomyelitis Research Foundation. Research in the Division of Medical Virology, Stellenbosch University is funded by the Poliomyelitis Research Foundation and Africa-Oxford Initiative.