[Study of the quasispecies dynamics of serum hepatitis B virus in a patient with acute exacerbations of chronic hepatitis B].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the quasispecies dynamics of hepatitis B virus (HBV) during the course of exacerbation and resolution of chronic hepatitis B in a patients.


METHODS
Five serum samples were collected from a patient with two episodes of exacerbation and resolution of chronic hepatitis B. A method of PCR-TA cloning-conformation sensitive gel electrophoresis (CSGE)-sequencing was performed to study the dynamic changes of HBV quasispecies in basal core promoter (BCP), precore and core regions of HBV genome.


RESULTS
Quasispecies complexity was 10 and 12 at the points of exacerbations, and 14 and 17 at the points of resolutions (t = 3.133, P < 0.05). Ratio of dominant quasispecies in HBV population was high (42.4% and 51.5%) during exacerbations and low (30.3% and 21.2%) during resolutions (t = 3.295, P < 0.05). All dominant quasispecies, except the one during the second resolution, carried core P5T, L60V, S155T, and precore G1896A mutations.


CONCLUSIONS
The composition of HBV quasispecies changes due to the change of host immune status, and immune pressure might lead to the selection of immune escape mutants.
Liu
Lin
L
Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
Wang
Yu-ming
YM
Lan
Lin
L
Li
Jun-gang
JG
Deng
Guo-hong
GH
Xia
Jie
J
Zhao
Xue-lan
XL
Zhang
Xu-qing
XQ
D000293:Adolescent; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens