Application of a novel, rapid, and sensitive oligonucleotide ligation assay for detection of cancer-predicting mutations in the precore and basal core promoter of hepatitis B virus.

ABSTRACT: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis are important causes of mortality worldwide. Persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of these diseases. Double mutations in the basal core promoter (BCP) (A1762T and G1764A) and precore (pre-C) (G1896A) regions of the virus are associated with progression to HCC. The current study is aimed at developing a simple method for screening and detecting BCP and pre-C mutations in HBV carriers. We have developed and validated an oligonucleotide ligation assay (OLA) to detect point mutations in the HBV core gene. We have applied OLA methods to samples from HBV-infected carriers recruited from the Gambia Liver Cancer Study (GLCS) comprising asymptomatic HBsAg carriers, patients with cirrhosis, and patients with HCC. We observed an 89

SUBMITTER: Mendy ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2519494 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature