title: The development of a mutation in the precore region of the hepatitis B virus in a chronically infected individual.
abstract: Over a 15-year period, a white American woman was observed to have progressive hepatitis B that underwent hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg) positivity to anti-HBe positivity with development of cirrhosis. This patient was found to have a non-sense mutation in the second codon of the pre-C region of the hepatitis B virus genome after her anti-HBe seroconversion but not in her serum when she was HBeAg+. As controls, serial blood specimens were analyzed from 12 other American patients who spontaneously converted from HBeAg to anti-HBe, who underwent an interferon alfa-associated HBeAg to anti-HBe seroconversion, and who did not seroconvert with interferon alfa therapy. No mutations in the pre-C region were observed to arise in these individuals. In conclusion, non-sense mutations that occur in the pre-C region in locations other than the 28th codon can be associated with HBeAg negative progressive liver disease. This report of a non-sense mutation occurring over time is unusual in that it occurred in a white American patient.
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Division, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Di Bisceglie
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Zeldis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016375:Antisense Elements (Genetics) / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015335:Molecular Probes / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation
chemical_list: D016375:Antisense Elements (Genetics); D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D015335:Molecular Probes