A case-control study for clinical and molecular biological differences between hepatitis B viruses of genotypes B and C. Japan HBV Genotype Research Group.
Clinical and molecular virological differences were evaluated in 50 Japanese patients chronically infected with HBV of genotype B and C who were matched for age and sex as well as the severity of liver disease in a case-control study. Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) was significantly less frequent (16% vs. 42%, P <.01), whereas antibody to HBeAg (anti-HBe) was significantly more common (84% vs. 56%, P <. 01) in genotype B than C patients. The predominance of mutants with G-to-A mutation at nucleotide (nt) 1896 in the precore region (A1896) over the wild-type was comparable between genotype B and C patients (60% and 62%, respectively), and it correlated with anti-HBe. The double mutation in the basic core promoter (A-to-T at nt 1762 and G-to-A at nt 1764), however, was significantly more frequent in genotype C than B patients (58% vs. 16%, P <.01), and it did not correlate with anti-HBe or HBeAg. By the multiple logistic regression analysis, the double mutation in the basic core promoter (T1762/A1764) was significantly associated with genotype C [odds ratio (OR), 9.3; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.4-25.1]], age > or = 35 years (OR, 5.5; CI, 1.5-20.5), and more advanced liver disease (OR, 4.1; CI, 1.6-10.2), but it was not associated with sex, HBeAg, HBV DNA, or the precore mutation (A1896). These results suggest a role of the double mutation in the basic core promoter in association with genotype C and a longer duration of infection in the aggravation of chronic hepatitis B.
Orito
E
E
Second Department of Medicine, Nagoya City University Medical School, Nagoya, Japan.
Mizokami
M
M
Sakugawa
H
H
Michitaka
K
K
Ishikawa
K
K
Ichida
T
T
Okanoue
T
T
Yotsuyanagi
H
H
Iino
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics