title: Molecular biology of hepatitis B virus: effect of nucleotide substitutions on the clinical features of chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major cause of liver disease worldwide. It is covered with envelope (surface antigen) proteins with the nucleocapsid (core antigen) inside. In the nucleocapsid, there is an incomplete double-stranded DNA and a DNA polymerase. Four genes, S, C, X, and P, are encoded, and these partially overlap. Mutations have been reported in each gene and in their promoter regions, and these mutations can change the efficiency of HBV replication and the clinical course of patients. In this article, we review the relationship between the molecular biology of HBV and its clinical outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, K1, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan. yokosukao@faculty.chiba-u.jp
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yokosuka
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arai
mesh_terms: D020029:Base Pairing; D001483:Base Sequence; D005814:Genes, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics*