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Nucleotide sequence of hepatitis B virus isolated from subjects without serum anti‐hepatitis B core antibody
Author(s) -
Gotoh Kenichiro,
Mima Satoaki,
Uchida Toshikazu,
Shikata Toshio,
Yoshizawa Kouji,
Irie Mitsuru,
Mizui Masaaki
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890460306
Subject(s) - virology , hepatitis b virus , epitope , biology , nucleic acid sequence , orfs , antibody , hepadnaviridae , virus , hepatitis b virus pre beta , antigen , orthohepadnavirus , hepatitis b , microbiology and biotechnology , open reading frame , hepatitis b virus dna polymerase , peptide sequence , dna , gene , genetics
The nucleotide sequences of the precore/core and X open reading frames (ORFs) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) were studied in four subjects who were serologically negative for anti‐hepatitis B core antibody. These subjects were positive for serum hepatitis B surface antigen and were considered to be asymptomatic HBV carriers. Sequencing of the precore/core ORF revealed precore wild type and 3 to 8 nucleotide substitutions (replacing 0 to 2 amino acids) in the core region compared with the sequence of subtype adr . These substitutions were not considered to have changed the epitope of the core antigen, resulting in the absence of anti‐HBc as determined by a conventional diagnostic kit. The X ORF showed 1 to 5 nucleotide substitutions (replacing 1 to 3 amino acids) and the structure of the X protein and the core promoter/enhancer II complex appeared to be conserved. These findings strongly suggest that the absence of serum anti‐HBc is not due to mutation of the HBV DNA but to an aberrant immune reaction of the host to HBV. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.