©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 14, 2015; 21(2): 541-548
Published online Jan 14, 2015. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i2.541
Published online Jan 14, 2015. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i2.541
Mutations of pre-core and basal core promoter before and after hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion
Nozomi Kamijo, Akihiro Matsumoto, Takeji Umemura, Soichiro Shibata, Yuki Ichikawa, Takefumi Kimura, Michiharu Komatsu, Eiji Tanaka, Department of Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan
Author contributions: Kamijo N, Matsumoto A, Umemura T and Tanaka E designed the research; Kamijo N and Matsumoto A performed the research; all the authors contributed to acquisition of data; Kamijo N, Matsumoto A, Umemura T and Tanaka E contributed to analysis and interpretation of data; Matsumoto A performed the statistical analysis; Umemura T and Tanaka E wrote the manuscript; Tanaka E supervised the study.
Supported by Research grant from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan.
Correspondence to: Takeji Umemura, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan. tumemura@shinshu-u.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-263-372634 Fax: +81-263-329412
Received: May 7, 2014
Peer-review started: May 8, 2014
First decision: May 29, 2014
Revised: June 17, 2014
Accepted: July 22, 2014
Article in press: July 22, 2014
Published online: January 14, 2015
Processing time: 255 Days and 20.6 Hours
Peer-review started: May 8, 2014
First decision: May 29, 2014
Revised: June 17, 2014
Accepted: July 22, 2014
Article in press: July 22, 2014
Published online: January 14, 2015
Processing time: 255 Days and 20.6 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: The exact roles of pre-core (pre-C) and basal core promoter (BCP) mutations remain unclear before and after hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion. Here, although the pre-C mutant became predominant in the HBeAg seroconversion group during follow-up, the proportion of the BCP mutation did not change. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) viral markers were significantly higher in patients without the mutations in an HBeAg positive status. HBV DNA and hepatitis B surface antigen levels were higher in patients with the pre-C mutation in an anti-HBe positive status. Taken together, the association of the pre-C mutation on viral load appears to be opposite before and after HBeAg seroconversion in patients with HBV infection.