title: Anti-HBe titre in patients infected with wild-type and e-minus variant of hepatitis B virus.
abstract: Serum samples from 77 HBsAg- and anti-HBe-positive chronic hepatitis B patients were studied for a G to A point mutation at the 1896 nucleotide of the precore region by polymerase chain reaction and oligonucleotide hybridization. Patients were grouped as: A, infected only by the wild-type virus; B, infected only by e-minus variant; C, coinfected by the wild-type and e-minus variant; and D, no precore/core gene of hepatitis B virus detected. All samples were assayed for the titre of anti-HBe by ELISA and compared as grouped. A significantly higher titre was found in the coinfected group C compared to groups A (p < 0.01) and D (p < 0.05). Results indicate that a high titre of anti-HBe is required as immune selective pressure for E-minus variant to overtake the wild-type virus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Virology, Shanghai Medical University, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wen
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017931:DNA Primers; D015342:DNA Probes; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D015342:DNA Probes; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens