Detection of precore/core-mutant hepatitis B virus genome in patients with acute or fulminant hepatitis without serological markers for recent HBV infection.
To confirm the possibility that some hepatitis B virus (HBV) variants do not induce HB s antigen (HBsAg), anti-HB core antibody (anti-HBc) and anti-HBc IgM in a transient infection, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed in 20 patients with acute hepatitis and 7 patients with fulminant hepatitis. Patients were diagnosed with non-A, non-B hepatitis by serological markers at admission. PCR successfully amplified the precore/core gene in 5 (25%) of the patients with acute hepatitis and 2 (29%) of the patients with fulminant hepatitis. Subsequent sequencing revealed frequent mutations including precore-defects in the precore/core gene.
Uchida
T
T
Department of Pathology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Aye
T T
TT
Becker
S O
SO
Hirashima
M
M
Shikata
T
T
Komine
F
F
Moriyama
M
M
Arakawa
Y
Y
Takase
S
S
Mima
S
S
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D014758:Viral Core Proteins