title: Response to interferon-alpha in chronic hepatitis B with and without precore mutant strain detected by mutation site-specific assay.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated whether the presence of precore mutant (stop codon mutation at codon 28) affects the response to interferon-alpha in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Mutations of hepatitis B virus (HBV) may influence the response to treatment. The association of precore mutant with the response to interferon is controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one Japanese patients with hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis were treated with natural interferon-alpha. HBV DNA with the precore mutation was assayed in serum using a mutation site-specific assay before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before treatment, precore mutant was detected in 22 cases (group A) and not detected in 9 cases (group B). Serum HBV DNA level before treatment was not different between the 2 groups. At the end of treatment, serum HBV DNA was decreased to undetectable levels in 13% (4 of 31). Six months after treatment, the percentage of cases with loss of hepatitis B e antigen and a decrease in the transaminase level to within the normal range was significantly higher in group B than in group A (67%, 18%, P = 0.015).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic hepatitis without precore mutant strain before treatment is more responsive to IFN-alpha.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Molecular Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan. yseo@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Seitetsu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamano
authors.forename: Miyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakaji
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.forename: Yoshitake
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasuga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha