Detection of circulating hepatitis B virus immune escape and polymerase mutants among HBV-positive patients attending Institut Pasteur de Bangui, Central African Republic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Previous studies in the Central African Republic (CAR) have reported the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) recombinant genotype E/D and a suspicion of immune escape mutants (IEMs), without further investigation into their impact on prevention and diagnosis. Consequently, this study investigated HBV mutations among hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive patients attending Institut Pasteur de Bangui in the CAR.

Methods

Sera from a total of 118 HBsAg-positive patients with no previous history of HBV treatment or vaccination at the Institut Pasteur de Bangui, were sampled between 2017 and 2019. Subsequently, the region spanning the surface and polymerase genes of HBV was amplified by PCR and sequenced. HBV sequences were genotyped/subgenotyped by phylogenetic

SUBMITTER: Koyaweda GW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6912157 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature