title: Viral nucleotide changes in asymptomatic hepatitis B carriers undergoing interferon treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interferon might induce mutation in regions of hepatitis B virus DNA that encode for immunologic target of cytotoxic T lymphocytes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the short-term effect of steroid priming and interferon therapy on hepatitis B virus, we followed the nucleotide changes in the precore and core region of hepatitis B virus DNA in seven healthy asymptomatic carriers who underwent steroid priming followed by recombinant alpha interferon for 3 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hepatitis B virus DNA from serial sera of the patients were polymerase chain reaction-amplified, and the precore and core region directly sequenced and analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis revealed no serial changes in the hepatitis B virus nucleotide sequence in any of the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Steroid priming and short-term treatment with interferon in healthy asymptomatic patients does not select for hepatitis B virus with mutations in the precore and core region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: How
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Seet
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001483:Base Sequence; D002353:Carrier State / Q000097:blood*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000628:therapy*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D007372:Interferons; D011239:Prednisolone