𝔖 Bobbio Scriptorium
✦   LIBER   ✦

Complete nucleotide sequences and the characteristics of two hepatitis B virus mutants causing serologically negative acute or chronic hepatitis B

✍ Scribed by Toshikazu Uchida; Kenichiro Gotoh; Toshio Shikata


Book ID
102909703
Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Year
1995
Tongue
English
Weight
578 KB
Volume
45
Category
Article
ISSN
0146-6615

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✦ Synopsis


Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction from the sera of a patient with acute hepatitis and a patient with chronic hepatitis. Both patients were negative for serum hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B core antibodies and had been previously diagnosed as non‐A, non‐B, non‐C, non‐D, non‐E hepatitis. The nucleotide sequence revealed an 8‐nucleotide deletion in the X‐gene coding region creating a C‐terminally truncated X protein, and probable mutation of the enhancer 11/core promoter element. In addition, DR2 showed a T‐to‐C mutation at the extreme 5′‐terminus. These mutations within the X‐gene coding region must suppress replication and expression of HBV DNA, and this seems to be responsible for absence of serological markers despite the presence of HBV infection. © 1995 Wiley‐Uss, inc.