Complete nucleotide sequences and the characteristics of two hepatitis B virus mutants causing serologically negative acute or chronic hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction from the sera of a patient with acute hepatitis and a patient with chronic hepatitis. Both patients were negative for serum hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B core antibodies and had been previously diagnosed as non-A, non-B, non-C, non-D, non-E hepatitis. The nucleotide sequence revealed an 8-nucleotide deletion in the X-gene coding region creating a C-terminally truncated X protein, and probable mutation of the enhancer II/core promoter element. In addition, DR2 showed a T-to-C mutation at the extreme 5'-terminus. These mutations within the X-gene coding region must suppress replication and expression of HBV DNA, and this seems to be responsible for absence of serological markers despite the presence of HBV infection.
Uchida
T
T
Department of Pathology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Gotoh
K
K
Shikata
T
T
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins
D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D015534:Trans-Activators; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C057628:hepatitis B virus X protein