Low prevalence of precore mutations in hepatitis B virus DNA in fulminant hepatitis type B in France.
The presence of mutants of the precore region of the hepatitis B virus genome was investigated in French patients with fulminant hepatitis. Only one of the 10 subjects had a detectable mutation by direct sequencing. On the other hand, 2/10 and 3/10 had evidence of coinfection by hepatitis D virus and hepatitis C virus. These results indicate that the precore stop mutation at codon 28 is not a general condition in fulminant hepatitis B and might reflect epidemiological factors.
Féray
C
C
Hybridotest, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Gigou
M
M
Samuel
D
D
Bernuau
J
J
Bismuth
H
H
Bréchot
C
C
D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000235:genetics*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D004279:DNA, Viral