title: [Effects of interferon treatment on mutation of hepatitis B virus precore genome].
abstract: Effects of interferon (IFN) treatment on mutation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) precore were studied with a rapid polymerase chain reaction method to investigate the stop codon in the distal precore region during HBV precore mutation. 6 cases of chronic hepatitis B were treated with recombinant IFN alpha 1 3 x 10(6) U/day for 14 weeks. In 4 of them HBV DNA was undetectable after treatment. Precore mutant was detected in the remaining 2 cases whose HBV DNA was still positive. In a group of 11 cases not treated with IFN, mutants were detected in 3. HBV e antigen (HBeAg) became negative after IFN treatment in one case, the original wild strain was replaced by a status of co-existence of mutant and wild strain. These results suggest that HBeAg negative seroconversion after IFN treatment does not necessarily implicate a complete clearance of HBV and the possibility of mutation of precore still exists.
authors.affiliation: Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical University.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D017354:Point Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins