Sequential analyses of the mutations in the core upstream and precore regions of hepatitis B virus genome in anti-HBe positive-carriers developing acute exacerbation
✍ Scribed by Nishizono, Akira; Kohno, Kazuhiro; Takita-Sonoda, Yoshiko; Hiraga, Masaharu; Terao, Hideo; Fujioka, Toshio; Nasu, Masaru; Mifune, Kumato
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1997
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 103 KB
- Volume
- 53
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0146-6615
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✦ Synopsis
The nucleotide sequences of the core upstream and precore regions (371 nucleotide length, nt. 1604-1974) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) were analysed sequentially in three subjects who were positive serorogically for anti-HBe and had acute clinical exacerbation after immunosuppressive treatment. These patients were asymptomatic HBV carriers before therapy. The results revealed that the mutant with an 8-bp deletion (nt. 1768-1775) located in the basic core promoter region was dominant in the asymptomatic HBV carrier phase in two of three subjects. After exacerbation, however, such mutant clones possessing 8-bp deletion disappeared or decreased in number and were replaced by the clones possessing a precore stop codon mutation G to A (nt. 1896) or by the clones possessing additional contiguous point mutations A to T (nt. 1762) and G to A (nt. 1764) and a new point mutation C to T (nt. 1653). Possible relationships between acute exacerbation of liver function accompanied by mutation and the transition of the dominant clones were discussed.