The Impact of Hepatitis B Virus Precore/Core Gene Carboxyl Terminal Mutations on Viral Biosynthesis and the Host Immune Response

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 209; no. 9; pp. 1374 - 1381
• Main Authors: Wu, Jia-Feng, Ni, Yen-Hsuan, Chen, Huey-Ling, Hsu, Hong-Yuan, Chang, Mei-Hwei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.05.2014
• Subjects: Adult; Amino acids; Biological and medical sciences; Capsid; Capsid Proteins - immunology; Cell Line; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene expression; Genetic mutation; Genotypes; Hepatitis antigens; Hepatitis B - immunology; Hepatitis B - virology; Hepatitis B Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis B Antibodies - immunology; Hepatitis B Core Antigens - genetics; Hepatitis B Core Antigens - immunology; Hepatitis B e Antigens - immunology; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B virus - genetics; Hepatitis B virus - immunology; Host-Pathogen Interactions - immunology; Humans; Infectious diseases; Interferon-gamma - immunology; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Mutation; Polymerase chain reaction; T lymphocytes; Transfection; Virology; VIRUSES; Young Adult; immune escape mutant; precore/core gene; hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion; hepatitis B virus; hepatitis B e antigen; Virus; Infection; Immune response; Gene; Hepadnaviridae; Orthohepadnavirus; Biosynthesis; Mutation; Hepatitis B virus

Background. We aimed to elucidate the impact of hepatitis B virus (HBV) precore/core gene mutations on spontaneous hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion, HBV biosynthesis, and the human immune responses in chronic HBV–infected patients. Methods. We analyzed the HBV precore/core gene sequences...