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Does hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype influence the clinical outcome of HBV infection?
Author(s) -
Mayerat C.,
Mantegani A.,
Frei P. C.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of viral hepatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1365-2893
pISSN - 1352-0504
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2893.1999.00174.x
Subject(s) - genotype , hepatitis b virus , virology , medicine , chronic hepatitis , virus , immunology , hepatitis b , chronic infection , biology , gene , immune system , genetics
Between 5 and 10% of adults infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) develop a chronic infection lasting longer than 6 months, which may lead to advanced liver disease. HBV can be classified into six genotypic families: A, B, C, D, E and F, but only genotypes A and D are significantly represented in western Europe, where they account for some 90% of cases of infection with HBV. In the present study, we investigated a possible association between HBV genotype A or D and clinical outcome of the infection. We compared the prevalence of these genotypes in a group of patients with chronic active hepatitis to that of a group with acute resolving hepatitis. In patients with chronic active hepatitis, genotype A was found in 28 of 35 patients and genotype D in only four. The remaining three patients were infected with genotype non‐A, non‐D. In contrast, genotype D was found in 24 of 30 patients with acute hepatitis, whilst genotype A was found in only three patients of this group. Three were infected with genotype non‐A, non‐D. Our results show a clear association between genotype A and chronic outcome (Ficher’s exact test: two‐sided P ‐value, P < 0.0001). They suggest that HBV genotypes may play a role in the virus–host relationship. Possible mechanisms for such a role are discussed.