HBV quasispecies composition in Lamivudine-failed chronic hepatitis B patients and its influence on virological response to Tenofovir-based rescue therapy.

ABSTRACT: The present study sought to evaluate the structure of HBV quasispecies in Lamivudine (LMV)-failed chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and its impact in defining the subsequent virological responses to Tenofovir (TDF)-based rescue-therapy. By analyzing HBV clones encompassing reverse transcriptase (RT) and surface (S) region from LMV-failed and treatment-naïve CHB patients, we identified 5 classical and 12 novel substitutions in HBV/RT and 9 substitutions in immune-epitopes of HBV/S that were significantly associated with LMV failure. In silico analysis showed spatial proximity of some of the newly-identified, mutated RT residues to the RT catalytic centre while most S-substitutions caused alteration in epitope hydrophobicity. TDF administration resulted in virological response in 60% of LMV

SUBMITTER: Banerjee P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5356183 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature