title: Precore and core mutations in HBV from individuals in India with chronic infection.
abstract: Ten hepatitis B surface antigen seropositive carriers (5 asymptomatic and 5 with chronic liver disease) were tested for HBeAg/anti-HBe and for HBV-DNA using the polymerase chain reaction. Five were DNA-positive, 2 with HBeAg and 3 with anti-HBe. Nucleotide sequences were determined for these 5 cases. Hepatitis B virus DNA from one cirrhotic carrier with anti-HBe had a mutation in the precore region (nucleotide position 1862) which may affect signal peptide cleavage and HBeAg synthesis. In the other 2 anti-HBe- and DNA-positive cases, a cirrhotic carrier and an asymptomatic case, there was a mutation at nucleotide position 1896 leading to a termination codon in the precore region. In all 5 patients, except for one or two missense mutations, there was no significant variation in the core region.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Medicine, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Valliammai
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Thyagarajan
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Zuckerman
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002353:Carrier State / Q000821:virology*; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000821:virology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens