Subgenotypes of hepatitis B virus genotype C do not correlate with disease progression of chronic hepatitis B in Taiwan. |
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| Authors: | Tai-Chung Tseng Chun-Jen Liu Pei-Jer Chen Ming-Yang Lai Chih-Lin Lin Jia-Horng Kao Ding-Shinn Chen |
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| Institution: | Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. |
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| Abstract: | BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype C (HBV/C) has two subgenotypes: HBV/Cs and Ce. The prevalence and clinical implications of subgenotype Cs and Ce in Taiwanese HBV carriers remain unknown. METHODS: Subgenotypes of HBV/C were determined in 242 Taiwanese HBV carriers with various stages of liver disease. The clinical as well as virologic features between patients with HBV/Cs and HBV/Ce infection were further compared. RESULTS: HBV/Ce was the predominant subgenotype in Taiwan. The prevalence of HBV/Ce was 93.6% in the inactive carriers group, 84.2% in chronic hepatitis patients, 81.2% in cirrhosis patients, 92.5% in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients without cirrhosis and 91.9% in HCC patients with cirrhosis. There was no significant difference in the distribution of the HBV/C subgenotypes among patients with different stages of liver disease. CONCLUSIONS: Subgenotypes of HBV/C may not have a clinical impact on the disease progression of chronic hepatitis B in Taiwan. |
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| Keywords: | basal core promoter genotype C hepatitis B virus precore subgenotype |
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