Linked Life Data

9724158

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/9724158

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
8
pubmed:dateCreated
1998-9-16
pubmed:abstractText
The mechanism underlying spontaneous clearance of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and the appearance of antibodies (anti-HBe seroconversion) in chronic hepatitis B is not known. Previous studies have demonstrated mutations within the precore/core gene before, during, and after seroconversion, suggesting that the emergence of mutations in the core gene may abrogate tolerance and that this event may act as a general principle for the initiation of the clearance of HBeAg. To investigate this hypothesis, we studied three patients with adult-acquired chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection before spontaneous seroconversion by sequential sequencing and single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of the entire precore/core genome. In one patient, a new viral strain appeared six months before seroconversion, but no mutations or new viral strains could be detected in the other two patients. SSCP analysis confirmed the sequencing results and revealed no evidence for the emergence of new viral subpopulations before seroconversion. These results suggest that the appearance of nucleotide changes within the precore/core region of the dominant viral strain is not a prerequisite for the induction of seroconversion in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection acquired during adulthood.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
AIM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Aug
pubmed:issn
0163-2116
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
43
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
1714-8
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1998
pubmed:articleTitle
Spontaneous seroconversion in chronic hepatitis B: role of mutations in the precore/core gene.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, UK.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't