Microvesicle Profiles in Patients with HIV, HBV, and HCV Infections: An Exploratory Pilot Study

Microvesicles (MVs) are extracellular vesicles released from many cell types under physiological and pathological conditions, influencing viral transmission, immune regulation, and inflammation. This exploratory pilot study characterized and compared plasma MV profiles in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Plasma samples (n = 125; HIV: 25, HBV: 50, HCV: 50) were analyzed using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NanoSight NS300) to assess MV size and concentration, classifying them as small (<300 nm) or large (>300 nm). Patients with HBV exhibited significantly larger mean MV size compared with both patients with HIV (131.5 ± 14.6 nm vs. 113.1 ± 14.0 nm, p < 0.0001) and HCV (131.5 ± 14.6 nm vs. 118.0 ± 18.5 nm, p = 0.0002). HCV infection showed higher concentrations of large MVs than HIV (p = 0.0022), while total and small MV levels did not differ. No sex-related differences were detected. Distinct MV size distributions appear linked to chronic viral infections, with HBV and HCV showing greater alterations than HIV. MVs may serve as potential biomarkers reflecting infection-associated biological processes; however, mechanistic, or functional roles were not assessed in this study and will require dedicated future investigations in larger controlled studies.