title: A mutation of the start codon in the X region of hepatitis B virus DNA in a patient with non-B, non-C chronic hepatitis.
abstract: There are cases of hepatitis involving occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in which, even though the HB surface antigen (HBsAg) is negative, HBV-DNA is detected by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We conducted a sequence analysis of the entire HBV region in a case of non-B non-C chronic hepatitis in a 46-year-old female. A diagnosis of non-B non-C chronic hepatitis was made. Although HBV markers, such as HBs antibody (anti-HBs), anti-HBc, HBeAg and anti-HBe, were negative, HBV-DNA was positive. Nested PCR was performed to amplify the precore region of HBV-DNA and all remaining regions by long nested PCR. Sequence analysis of the two obtained bands was conducted by direct sequencing. Compared with the control strains, the ATG (Methionine) start codon in the X region had mutated to GTG (Valine). It is assumed that a mutation at the start codon in the X region may be the reason why HBV markers are negative in some cases of hepatitis that involve occult HBV infection.
authors.affiliation: Kiyotaka Fujise, Keiko Tatsuzawa, Akihito Tsubota, Minoru Niiya, Hisao Tajiri, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kashiwa Hospital, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Chiba 277-8567, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyotaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujise
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tatsuzawa
authors.forename: Midori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kono
authors.forename: Sadayori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoshina
authors.forename: Akihito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsubota
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niiya
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Namiki
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: Hisao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tajiri