Virology Journal最新文献

{"title":"Arthropod-borne disease challenges from planetary warming, urbanization, and migration.","authors":"Maggie L Bartlett, Kristi Miley, Sten H Vermund, Scott C Weaver","doi":"10.1186/s12985-025-02950-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12985-025-02950-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As the world confronts simultaneous climate and health emergencies, the spread of emerging infectious diseases, particularly arboviruses, underscores the intersection of planetary health, global mobility, and disease risk. Viral pathogens like Oropouche, dengue, and chikungunya are extending their reach, with expanding vector habitats (ticks, mosquitoes, and others) driven by global warming and changing ambient humidity. Arboviral risks due to these unfavorable vector dynamics are exacerbated by voluntary and involuntary migration of people, urbanization with attendant crowding, and suboptimal water, sanitation, and garbage disposal capacities. The poor surveillance and infectious disease control capacities in low-income settings are now exacerbated by public health infrastructure retrenchments in high income nations like the United States. We emphasize the need for urgent, transdisciplinary integration of climate science, epidemiology, human and animal research, and global health security, suggesting bold strategies to prepare for a new era of cross-border microbial threats.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":"22 1","pages":"325"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12513077/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145276007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human papillomavirus prevalence and genotype distribution among 30,147 screened women and 3,362 cervical cancer patients in China: a retrospective study.","authors":"Mei Ye, Dongxia Yan, Jie Xu, Dongqin Liu, Xiaoyan Liu, Wei Jiang, Ling Sha, Ke Long, Yi Feng, Shupeng Zhang, Jun Luo, Hong Xie, Rong Zou, Yuliang Deng, Jianxiang Geng, Jian Huang, Wanqiu Huang","doi":"10.1186/s12985-025-02943-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12985-025-02943-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) is the primary cause of cervical cancer. Understanding genotype distribution and evaluating screening strategies are essential for effective prevention.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We retrospectively analyzed cervical cancer screening data from 97,686 women aged 35-64 years in Nanjing (2021-2023). Among these, 30,147 underwent combined cytology and HPV testing and 67,539 TCT alone. HPV genotyping was further performed in 3,362 histologically confirmed cervical cancer cases (3,014 squamous cell carcinomas [SCC] and 348 adenocarcinomas [ADC]) from multiple regions in China.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Combined screening achieved a significantly higher detection rate of abnormalities than TCT alone (13.70% vs. 1.79%, p < 0.001). Overall HPV positivity was 11.19%, increasing with age and peaking at 16.85% in women aged 60-64. The most frequent genotypes were HPV52, HPV58, and HPV16. In cervical cancer cases, HPV was detected in 92.73% of SCC and 59.77% of ADC. The proportion of HPV-negative cancers increased with age, particularly in ADC.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Combined TCT and HPV testing improves detection of cervical lesions compared with cytology alone. The observed age-specific and histology-specific differences in HPV prevalence and genotype distribution emphasize the need for tailored screening strategies, particularly for older women. These findings provide region-specific evidence to support the refinement of cervical cancer prevention and control strategies in China, particularly in contexts with similar demographic and epidemiological characteristics to the study population.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":"22 1","pages":"323"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12512415/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145276088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Isolation and genetic characterization of parvovirus from Bengal tiger in China.","authors":"Ye Wang, Shuyi Han, Yi Li, Guohui Yuan, Yanan Xing, Wanqian Chen, Mengyan Cheng, Hongxuan He","doi":"10.1186/s12985-025-02952-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12985-025-02952-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Canine parvovirus (CPV) poses an emerging threat to endangered felids, yet its epidemiology and evolutionary dynamics in tigers remain poorly characterized.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Pathogen detection was performed through necropsy, colloidal gold assays, and PCR on a deceased Bengal tiger, followed by genetic and molecular characterization of the identified CPV.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study isolated a CPV-2c strain (HNSY-031) from captive Bengal tigers. Genetic analysis revealed its closest relationship to Vietnamese canine parvoviruses, with 100% identity to CPV strains circulating in China and Vietnam since 2020. Molecular characterization identified 12 amino acid mutations within the VP2 protein, including key residues associated with host adaptation and viral evolution.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The isolated CPV-2c strain may have originated from multiple potential sources, including contact with domestic or wild animals or contaminated environments. These findings highlight the necessity of implementing comprehensive biosecurity protocols around wildlife facilities, expanding vaccination programs for animals in surrounding regions, and establishing ongoing surveillance systems to monitor potential sources of pathogen exposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":"22 1","pages":"324"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12512266/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145276009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improper use of TDF/FTC PrEP leading to acute HIV infection with low-level viremia and transient K70KR mutation: diagnostic challenges and drug resistance dynamics.","authors":"Xin Zhang, Tielin Ning, Jun Yao, Pei Liu, Meilin Wang, Cong Jin, Maohe Yu","doi":"10.1186/s12985-025-02925-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12985-025-02925-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has demonstrated high efficacy in preventing HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM). However, improper use can lead to breakthrough infections and diagnostic challenges.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>We report the case of a 30-year-old MSM who was prescribed on-demand PrEP with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) via telemedicine, following baseline assessments that included a negative HIV antibody test and an undetectable pooled (10-sample) HIV-1 nucleic acid testing (NAT). Five months after initiating PrEP treatment, pooled NAT reported a positive result, while the HIV antibody test remained negative. In the subsequent month, HIV antibody seroconversion was observed; however, the viral load remained at a low level (< 1,000 copies/mL), and Western blot (WB) results were indeterminate. Genotypic testing identified a transient K70KR mutation. Four months after the first positive NAT, WB positive seroconversion occurred, accompanied by an increased viral load (14,064 copies/mL). Subsequently, the patient initiated treatment with Bictegravir/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Alafenamide and achieved viral suppression within three months.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Improper and irregular use of PrEP led to HIV infection in this case. Telemedicine providers should conduct thorough assessments before starting PrEP and offer ongoing adherence support to maximize its effectiveness. This case highlights the importance of using NAT for early HIV detection in PrEP users and suggests including NAT in follow-up assessments to catch PrEP failures early. There is no need for excessive concern regarding the transient drug resistance mutations that may arise following PrEP failure, as these mutations do not compromise the efficacy of HIV treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":"22 1","pages":"322"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12509393/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145259337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of human metapneumovirus in children in Hangzhou, China.","authors":"Ya-Jun Guo, Qin-Rui Lai, Jie Song, Qun Wang, Bo-Fei Hu, Ya-Ling Li, Ying-Shuo Wang, Wei Li, Xiang-Zheng Ma","doi":"10.1186/s12985-025-02940-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12985-025-02940-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aims to describe the epidemiology and genotypic diversity of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in hospitalized children with pneumonia in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. From February 2022 to January 2023, nasopharyngeal swabs from hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Zhejiang, Hangzhou) were collected and tested for HMPV. Clinical characteristics and genotypes were analyzed on HMPV-positive samples. 3.43% (357/12993) of pediatric patients were HMPV-positive, and 287 of them were hospitalized with HMPV-induced pneumonia. 185 were classified as non-severe pneumonia group, and 102 as severe pneumonia group. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein to prealbumin ratio (CPAR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were substantially higher in severe groups compared to non-severe groups across all patient categories (P < 0.05). There were 14 cases of B1 lineage infection, 7 cases of B2 lineage infection and 105 cases of A2.2.2 lineage infection in hospitalized patients. Under the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic, the HMPV infection rate in pediatric patients with ARTIs has decreased, and the main lineage of HMPV infection in Hangzhou was A2.2.2. NLR and CPAR have higher predictive potential in severe patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":"22 1","pages":"320"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12506280/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145252991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distribution of Mukawa virus (Phlebovirus mukawaense) in Russia.","authors":"Anna S Gladkikh, Alena V Dereventsova, Tatiana M Ianshina, Ekaterina O Klyuchnikova, Valeriya A Sbarzaglia, Alena A Sharova, Anastasia S Gritseva, Margarita R Popova, Tatiana V Arbuzova, Edward S Ramsay, Alexander S Klimentov, Ivan S Kholodilov, Galina G Karganova, Vladimir G Dedkov","doi":"10.1186/s12985-025-02942-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12985-025-02942-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Phleboviruses, a diverse group within the Phenuiviridae family, include mosquito-, tick-, and sandfly-borne viruses, several of which are pathogenic to humans and animals. Among them, Phlebovirus mukawaense (formerly Mukawa virus, MKWV), a tick-associated member of the Phlebovirus genus, exhibits features, indicative of an emerging arbovirus with potential pathogenicity for humans and animals. This study investigated the distribution, genetic diversity, and host/vector interactions of MKWV across Russia. It identified two genotypes: the previously described Mukawa genotype and the newly characterized Gomselga genotype. This study presents complete genomic sequences of ten MKWV isolates from Russia and analyzes their phylogenetic relationship with other known isolates. The isolates share 88-89% nucleotide identity, and 97-98% RdRp amino acid identity, with the MKWV reference strain (MKW73). This places them within the same species under current ICTV classification criteria. Genetic distance correlated with geographic origin for the L and M segments. The S segment, particularly the NSs gene fragment, showed less regional variability. The findings suggest that previously described Gomselga viruses in Russia are part of the MKWV species and highlight the virus's broader geographic distribution and genetic diversity across East Asia and Europe. Segment reassortments were observed both within the Gomselga genotype and within the Mukawa genotype. While the Mukawa genotype replicates in mammalian cells, the Gomselga genotype does not. This indicates possible differences in host tropism or pathogenic potential. Despite these differences, both genotypes have evolutionary features consistent with arboviruses, including reassortment and geographical clustering of genomic variants. Although vertical transmission in ticks remains unproven, the detection of MKWV in multiple tick species and vertebrate hosts supports the likelihood of vector-borne transmission. These findings suggest that MKWV is a probable arboviral pathogen with an extensive geographic range and potential public health relevance. This warrants further surveillance and virological characterization to assess its epidemic potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":"22 1","pages":"321"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12506292/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145252996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The antimicrobial peptide nisin promotes host cell survival during SARS-CoV-2 infection.","authors":"Bevin C English, Allan Radaic, Ross Barrios-Medina, Kerui Lin, Pachiyappan Kamarajan, Anita Sil, Yvonne L Kapila","doi":"10.1186/s12985-025-02921-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12985-025-02921-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>COVID-19 has been a major public health concern for the past five years. While remarkable work has been done to develop therapies, there is still a need for more treatments to fight this disease. Recently, it was suggested that nisin, an FDA-approved antimicrobial compound, may interfere with SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells. Here, we show that nisin does not inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro. Surprisingly, nisin treatment leads to reduced host-cell death during infection in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that nisin may mitigate SARS-CoV-2-induced pathology.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":"22 1","pages":"316"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12486997/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145207756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A retrospective study on HIV virological recovery patterns and factors associated with HIV viral treatment using highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in public health facilities in tigray, Northern Ethiopia.","authors":"Gebrecherkos Teame Gebrehiwot, Mulugeta Tilahun, Gebreselema Gebreyohannes, Ataklti Gessese, Haileselassie Bisrat, Dagnew Weldegiorgis, Tekele Amare, Fisseha Assefa, Girmay Alemseged, Gebreselassie Alemseged, Hayelom Kahsay","doi":"10.1186/s12985-025-02828-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12985-025-02828-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Viral load monitoring is crucial for identifying treatment failure in HIV/AIDS patients, as low viremia is essential for public health as HIV cannot spread undetectable. This study aimed to assess the sustained virological recovery rate and potential factors affecting HIV patients in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, receiving combination treatment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>HIV infected individuals receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) were the subjects of the retrospective, cross-sectional investigation held from July 2018 to December 2020. Using a standardized checklist, data was taken from the Tigray Health Bureau database and aligned with data from the Tigray Health Research Institute (THRI). SPSS version 25.0 was used to analyze the data. Predictors for persistent virological recovery were identified based on baseline viral load, baseline CD4 count, current and baseline age, loss to follow-ups, adherence, and WHO clinical presentations. The correlations between each factor and the categorical outcome variables were evaluated using Pearson's χ2. To determine the determinants impacting virological recovery, multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Significant relationship levels were established at p < 0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>7689 HIV infected individuals with a mean age of 43 ± 13 years were recruited on HAART with a female predominance of 64.4% with 95% CI: 58.3-76.3. At enrollment to ART sizable portion of the research participants 43.7%, and 38% were in the productive age ranges of 16-30 and 31-45 years old respectively. The overall virological recovery was 90.9% with significant variations among male and female participants AOR; 4.24; 95% CI, 2.97-6.03) and (P < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Male participants showed less recovery, with high baseline CD4 count, long therapy stays, and suppressed viral load being key predictors. The virological recovery (90.9%) remains below the global average which is 95%. Regular assessment of treatment response patterns and drug list combinations is crucial for HIV virological recovery to be sustained. Early enrollment in HAART, tailored interventions, baseline viral load monitoring, longitudinal studies, and gene sequencing are crucial for virological recovery and identifying genetic and behavioral factors contributing to treatment resistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":"22 1","pages":"317"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12486621/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145207821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bayesian phylogenetic and recombination analyses of plum pox virus provide a refined vision of its evolutionary history.","authors":"F Palmisano, S Kawakubo, M Chiumenti, P Leonetti, V Pantaleo, T Candresse, A Minafra","doi":"10.1186/s12985-025-02892-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12985-025-02892-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The discovery of a plum tree isolate of plum pox virus (PPV, Potyvirus plumpoxi), done in Eastern Albania in 2011 in the frame of an EU-funded survey, which represents a divergent strain named PPV-An, proved to be original and informative for the unraveling of PPV evolutionary history.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic methods applied on full-length genomes or selected regions analyzed the affinities of the PPV-An with other PPV strains. Potential recombination events were also evaluated. A refined timeline of PPV evolutionary history integrating recombination events, strains migration and ancestral host state is proposed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Altogether, the analyses confirm previous hypotheses that PPV-An corresponds to an ancestral, non-recombinant PPV strain. PPV-An likely served as the origin of the PPV-M and T strains through recombination with isolate(s) of the D strain. Molecular clock analyses dated the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) of PPV at 4546 years ago and phylogeny separated the main PPV strains from the cherry-adapted strains around 3100 years ago. Meanwhile, the recombination events that gave rise to the M and T strains are estimated to have occurred in the early sixteenth century of the common era (CE).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The characterization of the PPV-An strain enabled a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of PPV. PPV-An is confirmed to be the previously unidentified progenitor, which, together with PPV-D led through recombination to the emergence of the currently prevalent and evolutionary successful recombinant strains of European origin (e.g., M, Rec, and T). The low representation of PPV-An in current PPV populations is likely the consequence of a population replacement phenomenon possibly linked to a higher fitness of the recombinant strains deriving from it. These results highlight the PPV-An strain as a key player in PPV evolutionary history and consolidate PPV as one of the promising models to study host-adaptive evolution processes and phylogeography among the most damaging viruses of agricultural systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":"22 1","pages":"319"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12486783/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145207849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human endogenous retrovirus ERVK3-1 characterizes a metabolically active and immunosuppressive subtype of liver cancer.","authors":"Xiaofen Wen, Shulv Weng, Minna Chen, Danxia Lin, Wenwu Xue, De Zeng, Jiaxin Shen","doi":"10.1186/s12985-025-02928-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12985-025-02928-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), particularly the HERV-K family, are increasingly recognized for their roles in cancer biology, yet the function of ERVK3-1 (HERVK_3p21.31) in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) remains largely unexplored.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed transcriptomic data from the TCGA-LIHC cohort to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high and low ERVK3-1 expression groups, followed by functional enrichment analyses (GO, KEGG, GSEA), protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction, and hub gene identification. The immunological relevance of ERVK3-1 was assessed through TIP immune cycle analysis, single-cell RNA sequencing datasets, and correlation with immune checkpoint expression. Immunotherapy responsiveness was evaluated using TIDE and TCIA databases.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>High ERVK3-1 expression was associated with enrichment in metabolic and oxidative stress-related pathways, while low expression correlated with cell cycle and DNA replication. PPI analysis revealed mitosis-related hub genes (e.g., CCNB1, CDK1). ERVK3-1 expression promoted early immune cell recruitment but was inversely correlated with later stages of the cancer immunity cycle, including immune infiltration and T-cell killing. Single-cell data showed high ERVK3-1 expression in immunosuppressive subsets, alongside positive associations with inhibitory immune checkpoints (e.g., PD-1, CTLA-4, TIM-3). High ERVK3-1 expression also correlated with greater immune evasion and reduced immunotherapy responsiveness.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>ERVK3-1 plays a multifaceted role in LIHC progression, contributing to metabolic reprogramming, immune suppression, and resistance to immunotherapy. These findings highlight ERVK3-1 as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in liver cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":"22 1","pages":"315"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12486636/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145207846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}