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HBV Surface Ag mutations in chronic carriers are rare in Baloochstan provinces of Iran: a community with a low rate of HBV-related cirrhosis and HCC
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A Ghaziasadi   , M Ziai , M Norouzi , R Malekzadeh , SM Alavian , M Judaki , S Ghamari , A Khedive , A Namazi , SM Jazayeri * |
| Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran |
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Abstract: (5512 Views) |
| Background and Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between the hepatitis B virus surface Ag (HBsAg) genotypes and variations in the clinical/serological pictures among HBsAg positive chronic patients from South Khorasan province of Iran. Methods: Twenty-five patients were enrolled in this study. The HBs Ag gene was amplified and was directly sequenced. Genotypes and nucleotide/amino acid substitutions were characterized comparing with sequences obtained from the database. Results: All strains belonged to genotype D, subgenotype D1 and subtype ayw2. Eight samples (group I) contained at least one mutation at the single amino acid level. Five out of 8 samples showed ALT levels above the normal range of which only one sample was anti-HBe positive. Group II (17 samples) did not contain any mutation, 4 were anti-HBe positive and 9 had increased ALT levels. In both groups, in anti-HBe positive patients who showed high levels of ALT, only one sample had amino acid mutations. Conversely, 7 of 20 samples with HBeAg positivity had mutations. In both groups, from a total of 18 amino acid mutations, 5 (27.5%) and 13 (72.5%) occurred in anti-HBe and HBeAg positive groups respectively. In general, there was no correlation between the occurrence of mutations and HBeAg status/ALT levels of the patients. Conclusion: The relatively small number of nucleotide/amino acid mutations might belong to either the initial phase (tolerant phase) of chronicity in our patients, regardless of being anti-HBe positive or that even in anti-HBe positive phase in Iranian genotype D-infected patients, a somehow tolerant pattern due to the host genetic factors may be responsible. |
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| Keywords: HBsAg variants, HBV genotype D, HBV genotypes Iran, HBV chronic carriers |
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Type of Study: Original article |
Subject:
General
Received: 2014/11/7 | Accepted: 2014/11/7 | Published: 2014/11/7
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