Dynamics of hepatitis B virus quasispecies in association with nucleos(t)ide analogue treatment determined by ultra-deep sequencing.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Although the advent of ultra-deep sequencing technology allows for the analysis of heretofore-undetectable minor viral mutants, a limited amount of information is currently available regarding the clinical implications of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genomic heterogeneity.

Methods

To characterize the HBV genetic heterogeneity in association with anti-viral therapy, we performed ultra-deep sequencing of full-genome HBV in the liver and serum of 19 patients with chronic viral infection, including 14 therapy-naïve and 5 nucleos(t)ide analogue(NA)-treated cases.

Results

Most genomic changes observed in viral variants were single base substitutions and were widely distributed throughout the HBV genome. Four of eight (50%) chronic therapy-naïve HBeAg-negative

SUBMITTER: Nishijima N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3327662 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature