In:
Journal of Viral Hepatitis, Wiley, Vol. 13, No. 9 ( 2006-09), p. 574-581
Abstract:
Summary. We investigated the replicative profile of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) viruses and the mutational pattern of the HBV precore/core (pre‐C/C) domain in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thirty‐eight consecutive patients with HCC were included in the study – 18 of them with HBV/HCV co‐infection and 20 with HBV single infection. Twenty‐three additional patients with co‐infection, without HCC were recruited as the control group. Replication activity was evaluated by detecting and quantitating both HBV and HCV genomes. The HBV pre‐C/C region, encompassing the pregenome encapsidation signal involved in viral replication, was analysed by direct sequencing. HBV viraemia levels were significantly lower ( P = 0.04) in patients with co‐infection in comparison with single‐infected HCC, whereas two different HBV viraemia profiles were detected in co‐infection with or without circulating HCV. HBV genotype D was prevalent in the three groups and HCV genotype 1b was found to be the infecting strain in all patients. Lower variability in the pre‐C/C region was found in co‐infection in comparison with HBV single infection ( P = 0.0004). A synonymous T1936C mutation was found in all co‐infected HCC cases not related to the presence or absence of circulating HCV, and a hypermutated pre‐C strain, characterized by the same mutational pattern, was identified in three HCC cases. The mutational pattern of the pre‐C/C region was closely related to HBV replication efficiency, and specific HBV mutations selectively associated with HCV co‐infection could be linked with accelerated HBV/HCV‐related disease progression.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1352-0504
,
1365-2893
DOI:
10.1111/jvh.2006.13.issue-9
DOI:
10.1111/j.1365-2893.2006.00726.x
Language:
English
Publisher:
Wiley
Publication Date:
2006
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2007924-2
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