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One hundred forty-two precore/core sequences were obtained from Gambian chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers and the predominant variants defined. The two point mutations, from A to T and G to A at nt positions 1762 and 1764 in the basic core promoter region, were found in only 7/99 (7%) of the samples where this region was sequenced. These mutations were found in both HBeAg-positive and -negative patients. The precore stop-codon mutation at nt position 1896 was found in 14/51 (27%) of HBeAg-negative samples, which is a lower prevalence rate in comparison with other parts of the world with high carrier rates. In HBeAg-positive patients the core amino acid sequences were conserved, but after seroconversion to anti-HBe significantly more changes were apparent. Several of the amino acid substitutions found have been described previously been in wild-type viruses of other genotypes.

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Med Virol

Publication Date

12/2001

Volume

65

Pages

664 - 670

Keywords

Amino Acid Sequence, Amino Acid Substitution, Carrier State, Cloning, Molecular, Codon, Terminator, Gambia, Genes, Viral, Hepatitis B e Antigens, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis B, Chronic, Humans, Molecular Sequence Data, Mutation, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Viral Core Proteins