Clinical significance of precore and core promoter mutations in genotype D hepatitis B-related chronic liver disease

Abstract

The impact of mutations in the precore and basal core promoter (BCP) regions of the hepatitis B virus on the course of chronic liver disease is not well established. We sought to examine the relationship of these characteristics to the clinical expression of liver disease in patients infected with genotype D chronic hepatitis B (CHB). BCP and precore mutations in 110 patients with genotype D1 CHB were determined and correlated with clinical phenotype. Of 110 patients, 95 (86.5%) were HBeAg-negative. Compared with HBeAg-positive subjects, HBeAg-negative patients were over a decade older and had lower viral loads (3.70 ± 0.98 vs 5.77 ± 0.69 log copies/ml, P < 0.001). The double mutation A1762T..