title: [Genetic variation in the cleavage site of the precore region of hepatitis B virus in Chinese patients with fulminant hepatitis].
abstract: In this study, a previously not documented variant of hepatitis B virus was described in Chinese patients with fulminant hepatitis. The entire precore/core region amplified from samples was cloned into a bacterial vector and sequenced by dideoxy chain termination reaction. Double amino acid substitutions were seen in the precore region in the isolates: one from glycine to aspartic acid at codon 29 previously reported; the other substitution of phenylalanine for valine at codon 17 in the cleavage site of hepatitis B virus. Loss of hepatitis B virus e antigen in these patients with fulminant hepatitis might therefore be due to the mutation in the cleavage site, rather than the emergence of a stop codon in the precore region of hepatitis B virus. Accumulation of hepatitis B e antigen precursor within the hepatocytes might account for the fulminant hepatitis exacerbation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infections Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, First Medical College of PLA, Guangzhou.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000940:Antigenic Variation; D001483:Base Sequence; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017421:Sequence Analysis
chemical_list: D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens