[Relationship between the genotypes of hepatitis B virus and the severity of liver diseases].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between different genotypes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the severity of liver diseases. METHODS: The S nucleotide sequences of HBV strains isolated from plasma samples of 284 patients were detected and compared. Among them, 87 patients were HBV asymptomatic carriers (ASC), 157 chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 22 liver cirrhosis (LC), and 18 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). RESULTS: Genotypes B and C were predominant, with a 26.1% proportion and a 63.2% proportion respectively. The percentage of genotypes B and C in patients with ASC, CHB, LC, and HCC were significantly different (x(2)=15.09, P<0.001). Compared with genotype B, genotype C was more common in patients with CHB and HCC (59.6% vs 43.2%, chi(2)=10.87, P<0.001; 7.7% vs 1.4%, x(2)=7.41, P<0.001), but in patients with LC there was no different (7.7% vs 8.1%, chi(2)=1.29, P>0.05). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that genotype B and C are predominant. And genotype C may induce more severe the liver inflammation than genotype B may do.