Mutations within the major hydrophilic region (MHR) of Hepatitis B virus from individuals with simultaneous HBsAg and anti‐HBs in Guangzhou, Southern China. Issue 8 (26th April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Kemin; Xie, Mingyu; Lu, Xiaomei; Yu, Hui; Wang, Hui; Xu, Yunjian; Yang, Qingqing; Lin, Yongping; Ma, Qiang
• Is Part Of: Journal of medical virology. Volume 90:Issue 8(2018)
• Page Start: 1337
• Page End: 1342
• Publication Date: 2018-04-26
• Subjects: anti‐HBs -- HBsAg -- Hepatitis B Virus -- mutations; Virology -- Periodicals; 616
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25188
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0146-6615

Abstract

Abstract : The mechanism of the coexistence of HBsAg and anti‐HBs is still unclear. This study investigated the variations located in the major hydrophilic region (MHR) of HBV from individuals with simultaneous HBsAg and anti‐HBs in Guangzhou, southern China. Among 4455 samples analyzed, 179 (4.02%) patients were discovered with both HBsAg and anti‐HBs. Finally, 44 individuals with concurrent HBsAg and anti‐HBs (defined as group I), and 88 patients with positive HBsAg and negative anti‐HBs (defined as group II, served as control) were enrolled in the study. The number of residue changes per 100 residues within the MHR in group I was 7.1 times more frequent than group II ( P < 0.001) and was discovered mostly in the MHR1 (aa99‐119) ( P < 0.001). Two or more residue changes in the MHR were discovered in 15 patients (34.1%) of group I, but were found in only one (1.1%) patient of group II ( P < 0.001). The most common variants in group I were at positions s101Q, s133M, s126T/I, s131T, s145G, s120P, and s129Q. In addition, sQ101 K, sT131N, and sM133L were more frequently discovered in group I with significant difference ( P < 0.05). In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, the simultaneous of HBsAg and anti‐HBs were accompanied with an increase of MHR variants, and suggested that the HBsAg mutants were selected by naturally acquired anti‐HBs during chronic carriage.