Features and clinical implications of hepatitis B virus genotypes and mutations in basal core promoter/precore region in 507 Chinese patients with acute and chronic hepatitis B.
BACKGROUND
The association of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes and basal core promoter (BCP) and precore (PC) mutations with the clinical characteristics is increasingly recognized.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate virologic features and clinical implications of HBV genotypes, BCP and PC mutations between large-size patients with acute hepatitis B (AHB) and chronic hepatitis B (CHB).


METHODS
One hundred and eighty-two AHB patients and 325 CHB patients were investigated. HBV genotypes and BCP/PC mutations were determined by direct sequencing. Mutations at 10 interested sites of the BCP/PC region were compared between the two groups of patients.


RESULTS
AHB patients had a significantly higher ratio of genotype B to C than CHB patients (37.4-62.6% vs. 16.6-83.4%, P<0.001). The prevalence of BCP/PC wild-type virus was 60.4% in AHB patients in contrast to 28.9% in CHB patients. Significantly lower prevalence of A1762T, G1764A, G1896A, and G1899A but higher prevalence of T1758C was found in AHB patients. Interestingly, T1758C and A1762T/G1764A appeared mutual restraint. Genotype B virus had lower BCP mutation frequency and similar PC mutation frequency compared to genotype C virus. AHB patients with BCP/PC mutant virus had higher viral load, whereas CHB patients with BCP/PC mutant virus had lower viral load and elevated alanine aminotransferase, in comparison with those with the wild-type virus.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with genotype B virus, BCP/PC wild-type virus or T1758C mutant virus were more susceptible to develop AHB, whereas high prevalence of the BCP/PC mutations was associated with CHB development.
Liu
Yan
Y
Viral Hepatitis Research Laboratory, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing 100039, China.
Zhong
Yanwei
Y
Zou
Zhengsheng
Z
Xu
Zhihui
Z
Li
Baosen
B
Ren
Xiaoqiang
X
Bai
Siyu
S
Wang
Lin
L
Li
Xiaodong
X
Dai
Jiuzeng
J
Wang
Yao
Y
Mao
Panyong
P
Xu
Dongping
D
D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic
D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens