Virological analysis, genotypes and mutational patterns of the HBV precore/core

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J Viral Hepat. 2006 Sep;13(9):574-81.

Virological analysis, genotypes and mutational patterns of the HBV

precore/core gene in HBV/HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

De Mitri MS, Cassini R, Morsica G, Bagaglio S, Andreone P, Loggi E, Muratori

P, Bernardi M.

Department of Internal Medicine, Cardioangiology, Hepatology, University of

Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

We investigated the replicative profile of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C

(HCV) viruses and the mutational pattern of the HBV precore/core (pre-C/C)

domain in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thirty-eight consecutive patients

with HCC were included in the study - 18 of them with HBV/HCV co-infection

and 20 with HBV single infection. Twenty-three additional patients with

co-infection, without HCC were recruited as the control group. Replication

activity was evaluated by detecting and quantitating both HBV and HCV

genomes. The HBV pre-C/C region, encompassing the pregenome encapsidation

signal involved in viral replication, was analysed by direct sequencing. HBV

viraemia levels were significantly lower (P = 0.04) in patients with

co-infection in comparison with single-infected HCC, whereas two different

HBV viraemia profiles were detected in co-infection with or without

circulating HCV. HBV genotype D was prevalent in the three groups and HCV

genotype 1b was found to be the infecting strain in all patients. Lower

variability in the pre-C/C region was found in co-infection in comparison

with HBV single infection (P = 0.0004). A synonymous T1936C mutation was

found in all co-infected HCC cases not related to the presence or absence of

circulating HCV, and a hypermutated pre-C strain, characterized by the same

mutational pattern, was identified in three HCC cases. The mutational

pattern of the pre-C/C region was closely related to HBV replication

efficiency, and specific HBV mutations selectively associated with HCV

co-infection could be linked with accelerated HBV/HCV-related disease

progression.

PMID: 16907843 [PubMed - in process

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