title: Clinical features of hepatitis B virus genotypes in Turkish patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes and hepatitis B early antigen (HBeAg) as well as the hepatitis C antibody, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and liver inflammation and damage in chronic patients of hepatitis B.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted at the Department of Microbiology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey, between June 2002 and February 2003. Randomly selected 63 patients of chronic hepatitis B represented the study population. Biochemical and virological activities, and histopathological stages were determined in all the patients. All serum samples were investigated for the presence of hepatitis B virus DNA by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The product of the reaction was sequenced by using Long Read Tower automated DNA sequencer. Clinical characteristics and laboratory features of the patients were compared using Mann-Whitney Rank Sum test, Kruskal Wallis test and Chi Square test for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genotype D was the only type found in all patients. Of the 63 patients studied, 16 (25.4%) tested positive for HBeAg. Hepatitis B antigen-negative patients were more elderly than those who were positive (p < 0.05). The degree of hepatic inflammation, fibrosis stage and alanine aminotransferase levels were similar in both the groups (p > 0.05). Liver cirrhosis was present in 2 (4%) of the patients in the negative group. In terms of gender, the serum alanine aminotransferase levels were significantly higher in male patients than in females (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no relationship between the genotype of the patients and their response to the therapy since there was only one genotype detected in the study. The results showed that the hepatitis e antibody-negativity was not associated with good prognosis, while less necrotic activity, and alanine aminotransferase levels were not correlated with the severity of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. sevgiciftci@gmail.com
authors.forename: Sevgi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ciftci
authors.forename: Fahriye
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Keskin
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Badur
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral