G1862T mutation among hepatitis B virus-infected individuals: association with viral genotypes and disease outcome in Kolkata, Eastern India.
OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of G1862T mutation in hepatitis B virus (HBV) isolates among Eastern Indian patients and its relationship with genotypes, HBeAg status and disease manifestation.


METHODS
HBV DNA was isolated from patients, amplified by nested PCR and sequenced directly.


RESULTS
Of the 102 patients, 32 were HBeAg positive and 70 HBeAg negative; 55, 24 and 23 isolates were infected with genotypes D, A and C, respectively. G1862T was detected in 18 samples, 15 (83%) of them belonged to genotype A (subgenotype HBV/A1), 3 (17%) to genotype D. This mutation was more frequent in HBeAg-negative than in HBeAg-positive patients (21 vs. 9%), whereas in HBV/A1 it was as common in HBeAg-positive as in HBeAg-negative patients and significantly associated with T1762/A1764 mutation. The mean viral load was lower in patients with G1862T mutation. Furthermore, this mutation was common in various clinical outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
In our community, G1862T mutation was predominantly found in HBV/A1 isolates irrespective of HBeAg status. Moreover this mutation could not be correlated to the clinical outcome. These findings indicate that the G1862T mutation is probably a part of the natural variability of HBV/A1.
Chandra
Partha K
PK
ICMR Virus Unit, Kolkata, India.
Banerjee
Arup
A
Datta
Sibnarayan
S
Chakravarty
Runu
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017354:Point Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D019562:Viral Load
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens