Heterogeneity of hepatitis B virus (HBV) core gene in a patient with HBV-associated cirrhosis and serum negativity for anti-HBc.
J Hepatol
; 24(2): 155-60, 1996 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-8907568
ABSTRACT
AIMS:
We describe here the case of a patient suffering from severe chronic hepatitis B associated with an unusual hepatitis B virus serology HBsAg and HBeAg were both positive while anti-HBc was negative by radioimmunoassay.METHODS:
A very sensitive anti-HBc ELISA (IMx CORE) was performed and was able to detect anti-HBc sporadically throughout the clinical course. Molecular characterization of hepatitis B virus strains in this patient enabled us to explain this particular serological and clinical pattern of hepatitis B virus infection.RESULTS:
Hepatitis B virus genotype determined by size polymorphism of the core gene and the pre-S region was found to be D/E and consistent with the results of serological subtyping (HBV ayw2-4). DNA sequence analysis of the pre-C/C region showed the presence of significant nucleotide changes. In association with a wild type hepatitis B virus strain, we could detect at least four hepatitis B virus variants with nucleotide deletions leading to a frameshift in the core gene. According to the position of the mutations, these hepatitis B virus core variants are expected to be defective for B-cell epitopes and TH-cell epitopes.CONCLUSIONS:
These mutations explain the low level production of anti-HBc antibody. It is noteworthy that the absence of detectable anti-HBc in serum was associated with severe liver damage, suggesting that the deficient humoral response to HBcAg was not accompanied by a cellular immune tolerance to HBc/eAg, the supposed target for cytotoxic T-cell lysis.
Buscar no Google
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Heterogeneidade Genética
/
Hepatite B
/
Antígenos do Núcleo do Vírus da Hepatite B
/
Cirrose Hepática
/
Anticorpos Antivirais
Tipo de estudo:
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Adult
/
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Hepatol
Assunto da revista:
GASTROENTEROLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
1996
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
França