[Hepatitis B virus core promoter mutations in patients with fulminant hepatitis].
OBJECTIVE
To detect hepatitis B virus core promoter (CP) mutations in patients with fulminant hepatitis.


METHODS
Polymerase chain reaction amplified serum HBV DNA fragments were directly sequenced.


RESULTS
There were 2-12 nucleotide substitutions in CP region in the 7 subacute fulminant hepatitis patients studied. An 11 bp nucleotides insertion was found in one patient. Mutations in CP were usually seen in the first and the second A T rich regions. The A to T mutation at nt 1,762 and G to A mutation at nt 1,764 were found in 4 cases, 3 of them were HBeAg negative. The third A T rich region was kept intact in all the 7 patients, so did the initial site of HBV replication (DR1) and the initial site of mRNA transcription (1,783/1784 or 1,790 +/- 1 for precore mRNA and 1818 for pregenome-C/P mRNA).


CONCLUSIONS
CP mutations in patients with fulminant hepatitis are common, most of the CP variations occur in the first and the second A T rich regions, and these mutations may impede the transcription of precore mRNA and affect the expression of HBeAg.
Guo
Y
Y
Department of Infectious Diseases of Nanfang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515.
Lu
Q
Q
Luo
K
K
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000821:virology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D000075723:Kruppel-Like Factor 6; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017354:Point Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics
C105465:KLF6 protein, human; D000075723:Kruppel-Like Factor 6; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators