X gene/core promoter deletion mutation: A novel mechanism leading to hepatitis B ‘e’ antigen‑negative chronic hepatitis B

Zhou,Fei; Xu,Hongzhi; Chen,Meiya; Xiao,Hongmin; Zhang,Zhiping; Lu,Yapi; Ren,Jianlin; Dong,Jing

doi:10.3892/mmr.2014.2248

X gene/core promoter deletion mutation: A novel mechanism leading to hepatitis B ‘e’ antigen‑negative chronic hepatitis B

Authors:
- Fei Zhou
- Hongzhi Xu
- Meiya Chen
- Hongmin Xiao
- Zhiping Zhang
- Yapi Lu
- Jianlin Ren
- Jing Dong
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Affiliations: Center of Liver Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350005, P.R. China, Department of Gastroenterology, Xiamen Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China
Published online on: May 20, 2014 https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2014.2248
Pages: 799-803

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Abstract

Mutations in the precore and core promoter regions of hepatitis B ‘e’ antigen (HBeAg) are implicated in HBeAg‑negative chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (CHB). The objective of the current study was to investigate novel mutant patterns that lead to HBeAg‑negative CHB. The . PreX-X genomic region from the sera of HBV‑infected patients was amplified, and analysis of the sequences displayed a unique deletion region, 234 nucleotides in length, which was observed in 54 clones and named core promoter deletion (CPD). CPD may have an important role in the cause of HBeAg‑negative CHB. In addition, a novel deletion mutation in the X gene was observed in patients with CHB. This deletion mutant codes a 76‑amino‑acid X factor instead of the X protein. In the present study, a new mutation pattern was discovered that may contribute to the cause of HBeAg-negative CHB, and therefore it is worthy of future studies.

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