TY - JOUR
T1 - Spontaneous HBsAg loss in Korean patients
T2 - relevance of viral genotypes, S gene mutations, and covalently closed circular DNA copy numbers
AU - Kim, Kyun Hwan
AU - Chang, Hye Young
AU - Park, Jun Y.ong
AU - Park, Eun Sook
AU - Park, Yong K.wang
AU - Han, Kwang Hyub
AU - Ahn, Sang H.oon
PY - 2014/9/1
Y1 - 2014/9/1
N2 - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Occult HBV infection can persist following HBsAg loss and be transmitted, but the virological features are not well defined.METHODS: Here we investigated 25 Korean patients who lost HBsAg during follow up, either spontaneously or subsequent to therapy.RESULTS: Whereas subtype adr (genotype C) was found in 96% of HBsAg positive patients, 75 % of patients who lost HBsAg spontaneously were seemed to be infected with the ayw subtype with sequence similar to genotype D. Mutations in the major hydrophilic region (MHR) of HBsAg were found in 7 patients who lost HBsAg spontaneously. The mutations include T123S, M125I/N, C139R, D144E, V177A, L192F, and W196L, some of which have not been reported before. Functional analysis via transfection experiments indicate that the C139R and D144E mutations drastically reduced HBsAg antigenicity, while the Y225del mutation found in one interferon-treated patient impaired HBsAg secretion.CONCLUSIONS: Lack of detectable HBsAg in patient serum could be explained by low level of ccc DNA in liver tissue, low antigenicity of the surface protein, or its secretion defect.
AB - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Occult HBV infection can persist following HBsAg loss and be transmitted, but the virological features are not well defined.METHODS: Here we investigated 25 Korean patients who lost HBsAg during follow up, either spontaneously or subsequent to therapy.RESULTS: Whereas subtype adr (genotype C) was found in 96% of HBsAg positive patients, 75 % of patients who lost HBsAg spontaneously were seemed to be infected with the ayw subtype with sequence similar to genotype D. Mutations in the major hydrophilic region (MHR) of HBsAg were found in 7 patients who lost HBsAg spontaneously. The mutations include T123S, M125I/N, C139R, D144E, V177A, L192F, and W196L, some of which have not been reported before. Functional analysis via transfection experiments indicate that the C139R and D144E mutations drastically reduced HBsAg antigenicity, while the Y225del mutation found in one interferon-treated patient impaired HBsAg secretion.CONCLUSIONS: Lack of detectable HBsAg in patient serum could be explained by low level of ccc DNA in liver tissue, low antigenicity of the surface protein, or its secretion defect.
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U2 - 10.3350/cmh.2014.20.3.251
DO - 10.3350/cmh.2014.20.3.251
M3 - Article
C2 - 25320728
AN - SCOPUS:84932153863
VL - 20
SP - 251
EP - 260
JO - Clinical and molecular hepatology
JF - Clinical and molecular hepatology
SN - 2287-2728
IS - 3
ER -