Clinical significance of hepatitis B virus （HBV） precore and core promoter mutations affecting HBV e-antigen expression and their association with liver disease progression

Objective To investigate the association of hepatitis B virus （ HBV） precore （ preC） /C mutations with the pro-gression of liver disease .Methods The HBV genes of 50 chronic hepatitis B , including 30 HBV e-antigen （ HBeAg）-negative and 20 HBeAg-positive patients, were detected with real-time quantification polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） and the direct sequencing method.Results The mutations T1762/A176, T1766/A1768, A1896 , and the levels of HBV viral loads significantly correlated with the disease progression .The HBeAg-negative patients had a higher frequency of mutations at T 1762/A1764 , T1766/A1768 , and A 1896 relative to HBeAg-positive patients .Conclusions Patients with advanced liver diseases and with HBeAg-negativity possibly had multi-mutations at T1762/A1764, T1766/A1768, and A1896 in HBV genomes. Key words: Hepatitis B virus/genetics; Point mutation; Liver diseases