title: Mutations of pre-core and basal core promoter before and after hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of pre-core and basal core promoter (BCP) mutations before and after hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion.
  
  
  METHODS
  The proportion of pre-core (G1896A) and basal core promoter (A1762T and G1764A) mutant viruses and serum levels of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and HB core-related antigen were analyzed in chronic hepatitis B patients before and after HBeAg seroconversion (n = 25), in those who were persistently HBeAg positive (n = 18), and in those who were persistently anti-HBe positive (n = 43). All patients were infected with HBV genotype C and were followed for a median of 9 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the pre-core mutant became predominant (24% to 65%, P = 0.022) in the HBeAg seroconversion group during follow-up, the proportion of the basal core promoter mutation did not change. Median HBV viral markers were significantly higher in patients without the mutations in an HBeAg positive status (HBV DNA: P = 0.003; HBsAg: P < 0.001; HB core-related antigen: P = 0.001). In contrast, HBV DNA (P = 0.012) and HBsAg (P = 0.041) levels were significantly higher in patients with the pre-core mutation in an anti-HBe positive status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an opposite association of the pre-core mutation with viral load before and after HBeAg seroconversion in patients with HBV infection.
authors.affiliation: Nozomi Kamijo, Akihiro Matsumoto, Takeji Umemura, Soichiro Shibata, Yuki Ichikawa, Takefumi Kimura, Michiharu Komatsu, Eiji Tanaka, Department of Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Nozomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamijo
authors.affiliation: Nozomi Kamijo, Akihiro Matsumoto, Takeji Umemura, Soichiro Shibata, Yuki Ichikawa, Takefumi Kimura, Michiharu Komatsu, Eiji Tanaka, Department of Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Nozomi Kamijo, Akihiro Matsumoto, Takeji Umemura, Soichiro Shibata, Yuki Ichikawa, Takefumi Kimura, Michiharu Komatsu, Eiji Tanaka, Department of Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umemura
authors.affiliation: Nozomi Kamijo, Akihiro Matsumoto, Takeji Umemura, Soichiro Shibata, Yuki Ichikawa, Takefumi Kimura, Michiharu Komatsu, Eiji Tanaka, Department of Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.affiliation: Nozomi Kamijo, Akihiro Matsumoto, Takeji Umemura, Soichiro Shibata, Yuki Ichikawa, Takefumi Kimura, Michiharu Komatsu, Eiji Tanaka, Department of Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.affiliation: Nozomi Kamijo, Akihiro Matsumoto, Takeji Umemura, Soichiro Shibata, Yuki Ichikawa, Takefumi Kimura, Michiharu Komatsu, Eiji Tanaka, Department of Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Takefumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: Nozomi Kamijo, Akihiro Matsumoto, Takeji Umemura, Soichiro Shibata, Yuki Ichikawa, Takefumi Kimura, Michiharu Komatsu, Eiji Tanaka, Department of Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Michiharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.affiliation: Nozomi Kamijo, Akihiro Matsumoto, Takeji Umemura, Soichiro Shibata, Yuki Ichikawa, Takefumi Kimura, Michiharu Komatsu, Eiji Tanaka, Department of Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D014758:Viral Core Proteins
keywords: Basal core promoter; Hepatitis B core-related antigen; Hepatitis B surface antigen; Hepatitis B virus DNA; Mutation; Pre-core; Seroconversion