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Human hepatitis B virus mutants: significance of molecular changes
Author(s) -
Chen Wei Ning,
Oon Chong Jin
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(99)00704-8
Subject(s) - virology , hepatitis b virus , virus , biology , mutation , mutant , gene , hepatitis b , antigen , hepatitis b virus dna polymerase , viral hepatitis , hepatitis c virus , viral transformation , immunology , genetics
Human hepatitis B virus, the leading pathogen for hepatitis B, is a compact DNA virus with viral genes that largely overlap. An increasing number of mutations have emerged following human interventions such as vaccination and anti‐viral therapy. While vaccine escape mutants are characterized by mutations on the antigenic hepatitis B surface antigen, those carrying mutations in other viral proteins are either resistant to anti‐viral therapy or implicated in acute liver diseases. Molecular identification of these various mutants should shed new lights on the underlying mechanism of hepatitis B virus viral escape and resistance and provide helpful information on their effective eradication.