title: Pre-core/basal-core promoter and reverse transcriptase mutations in chronic HBV infected-patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Some HBV mutations have been shown to have an association with liver disease. The aim of the study was to investigate the incidence of mutations in hepatitis B virus (HBV) pre-core/basal core promoter (BCP) and reverse transcriptase (RT) regions and their relationship with disease progression in chronic HBV-infected patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 133 patients were enrolled in this study, comprising the acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure (ACLF-HBV) and chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. The pre-core/ BCP and RT gene fragments were amplified by high-fidelity PCR. Mutations of pre-core/BCP and RT regions were examined by direct sequencing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in age, the average level of ALT and course of disease between the ACLF-HBV and CHB groups. The HBeAg positive rate and average values of HBV-DNA loads of the ACLF-HBV patients were lower than that of CHB patients. In HBV pre-core/ BCP region, the point mutations T1753C (39.06% vs. 21.74%, p<0.01), A1762T (26.56% vs. 13.04%, p<0.05), G1764A (31.25% vs. 18.84%, p<0.01), G1896A (29.69% vs. 15.94%, p<0.05) and G1899 (23.44% vs. 10.14%, p<0.05) were significantly more frequent in the ACLFHBV than CHB patients. For combined mutations, A1762T+G1764A (23.43% vs. 11.59 %, p<0.05) and G1896A+ G1899A (21.88% vs. 13.04%, p<0.05) were significantly more frequent in ACLF-HBV than CHB patients. However, there were no significant differences in RT mutations between two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ACLFHBV patients had more frequent mutations in HBV precore/ BCP region than that of CHB patients. Some mutations in HBV pre-core/BCP region might be related to the aggravation of chronic HBV infection.
authors.affiliation: Sichuan University, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: En-Qiang
authors.initials: EQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tao-You
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002681:China; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics*; D019562:Viral Load; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D014764:Viral Proteins; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase