Core promoter mutations of HBV isolated from patients with chronic hepatitis B in Guangxi / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relationship between HBV core promoter mutations and liver damage or HBeAg status.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) was used for amplification of HBV DNA core promoter in 59 sera from patients with chronic hepatitis B in Guangxi, then the HBV DNA positive products were sequenced by direct sequencing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The HBV DNA positive rate of was 59.3%(35/59). All the patients were infected by mutants. The commonest mutation was the double mutation (A --> T at nt1762 and G --> A at nt1764), counting for 57.1% (20/35). The next was C --> G at nt1799, counting for 54.4% (19/35), but this was no function. A --> G at nt1752 (resulting in isoleucine to valine) was seen in 37.1% (13/35) of the HBV DNA positive patients, and T --> C at nt1753 was seen in 20% (7/35). The significant difference in the frequency of T1762A1764 mutant was found between HBeAg positive patients (31.3%) and negative patients (79.0%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>HBV core promoter mutations are common among patients with chronic hepatitis B in Guangxi. T1762A1764 mutant is associated with HBeAg status and chronic hepatitis.</p>

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus core promoter mutant isolated from asymptomatic carriers from areas with higher and lower incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in Guangxi / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the prevalence of HBV core promoter mutant (T1762 A1764 mutant) isolated from asymptomatic carriers from areas with higher and lower incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Guangxi.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) was used for amplification of HBV DNA core promoter in sera, and then HBV DNA nPCR products were sequenced by direct sequencing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The results show that 50.6% (39/77) of all HBV asymptomatic carriers were positive for HBV DNA HBV DNA positive rates of the samples from HCC higher incidence area, Longan County, and from lower incidence area, Guilin city were 55.6% (20/36) and 46.3% (19/41), respectively. HBV core promoter mutants could be seen in 35% in Longan positive samples and 47.4% in Guilin. The common mutations in both regions were all double mutations (nt 1,762 A-->T; nt 1,764 G-->A), accounting for 25% and 21%, respectively. The difference of the double mutant between Longan County and Guilin city was not significant (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>These data implicated that the prevalence of HBV core promoter mutant isolated from asymptomatic carriers may not be correlated with the incidence of HCC in Guangxi.</p>

The prevalence of hepatitis B virus precore mutant isolated from asymptomatic carriers in Guangxi / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>In order to understand the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) precore mutants isolated from asymtomatic carriers in Guangxi.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) was used for amplification of HBV DNA precore in 77 carrier sera, followed by HBV DNA nPCR products sequencing using direct sequencing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>50.7% of 77 carriers was positive for HBV DNA with a prevalence of mutants 22.1% (17/77). HBV DNA positive rate in the southern part of the autonomous region was 55.6% (20/36). Six of them were mutants, counting for 30%. The common mutation in the southern part was seen T-->C at nt1858 while nt1896 stop mutation was discovered in one sample only, which was accompanied by point mutation at nt1837 (A-->G). HBV DNA positive rate in the northern part was 46.3% (19/41) with 11 of them were mutants, counting for 57.9%. The common mutation in that area stopped at nt1896. Among samples with stopped mutation, 4 samples had mutation at nt1846 (A-->T), 2 samples at nt1862 (G-->T). Both mutation at nt1856 (C-->T) and nt1858 (T-->C) could be seen in sample 734.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The prevalence of HBV precore mutant in asymptomatic carriers in Guangxi was at the average level in China. Further study is needed to determine the difference between the southern and the northern part of the region in the common type of mutation exists.</p>