Precore wild-type hepatitis B virus with G1896 in the resolution of persistent hepatitis B virus infection.
OBJECTIVE
Factors influencing the resolution of persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection were sought for.


METHODS
The loss of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) from serum was correlated with mutations in HBV DNA for a hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-minus phenotype in patients infected with HBV genotype C and positive for HBeAg at presentation.


RESULTS
HBeAg turned negative in all the 22 patients in whom HBV infection resolved, but only in 11 of the 25 patients with severe liver diseases (100 vs. 44%, p = 0.0001). The precore wild type (G1896) persisted significantly more frequently in the 22 patients in whom HBV infection resolved than in the 11 patients who developed decompensated liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (15/22 or 68% vs. 1/11 or 9%, p = 0.005). The double mutation in the core promoter (T1762/A1764) was comparably frequent in the two groups of patients at presentation (14/22 or 64% vs. 7/11 or 64%) and >15 years thereafter (18/22 or 82% vs. 10/11 or 91%).


CONCLUSIONS
The precore wild type (G1896) would seem to facilitate the resolution of HBV infection, while the precore mutant (A1896) may induce severe liver diseases in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis who have lost HBeAg from serum.
Kobayashi
Mariko
M
Research Institute for Hepatology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. vj7m-kbys@asahi-net.or.jp
Arase
Yasuji
Y
Ikeda
Kenji
K
Tsubota
Akihito
A
Suzuki
Yoshiyuki
Y
Saitoh
Satoshi
S
Kobayashi
Masahiro
M
Suzuki
Fumitaka
F
Akuta
Norio
N
Hosaka
Tetsuya
T
Someya
Takashi
T
Matsuda
Marie
M
Sato
Junko
J
Takagi
Kimiko
K
Miyakawa
Yuzo
Y
Kumada
Hiromitsu
H
D000328:Adult; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D011498:Protein Precursors