Detection of precore/core-mutant hepatitis B virus genome in patients with acute or fulminant hepatitis without serological markers for recent HBV infection

• Published in: Journal of hepatology Vol. 18; no. 3; pp. 369 - 372
• Main Authors: Uchida, Toshikazu, Aye, Thein Thein, Becker, Sven O., Hirashima, Masanori, Shikata, Toshio, Komine, Fumihiko, Moriyama, Mitsuhiko, Arakawa, Yasuyuki, Takase, Shyujirou, Mima, Satoaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01.07.1993; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adult; Amino Acid Sequence; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; DNA, Viral - genetics; Female; Genome, Viral; Hepatitis Antibodies - analysis; Hepatitis Antibodies - immunology; Hepatitis B - genetics; Hepatitis B - immunology; Hepatitis B Core Antigens - analysis; Hepatitis B Core Antigens - immunology; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - analysis; Hepatitis B virus - genetics; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunoglobulin M - analysis; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Non-A, non-B hepatitis; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Radioimmunoassay; Viral Core Proteins - genetics; Viral Core Proteins - immunology; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis; Virus gene; Non-A, non-B hepatitis; Virus gene; Mutation; Human; Polymerase chain reaction; Hepatitis; Antibody; Acute; Digestive diseases; Hepatic disease; Serology; Genome; Fulminant
• ISSN: 0168-8278; 1600-0641
• DOI: 10.1016/S0168-8278(05)80283-1

To confirm the possibility that some hepatitis B virus (HBV) variants do not induce HB s antigen (HBsAg), anti-HB core antibody (anti-HBc) and anti-HBc IgM in a transient infection, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed in 20 patients with acute hepatitis and 7 patients with fulminant hepatitis. Patients were diagnosed with non-A, non-B hepatitis by serological markers at admission. PCR successfully amplified the precore/core gene in 5 (25%) of the patients with acute hepatitis and 2 (29%) of the patients with fulminant hepatitis. Subsequent sequencing revealed frequent mutations including precore-defects in the precore/core gene.