HBV Core Promoter Mutant in Indian Patients Suffering from Chronic Liver Disease

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a partially double-stranded DNA virus, which is a major causative agent of chronic, acute hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in Asian, African and Southern European countries. An estimated 350 to 400 million carriers are found around the world (Wang et al., 2005) and 1 to 2 million people have died from this virus (Mahoney, 1999). In India the prevalence rate of hepatitis is reported to vary from 1 to 13 percent; with an average of 4.7 percent (Thyagarajan et al., 1996). Hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg) is considered as a marker for viral replication but seroconversion from HBeAg to anti-HBeAg positive generally indicates low level of viral production and low level of serum HBV DNA. This generally correlates with improvement of liver disease. HBV has a mutation rate 10-fold higher than other DNA viruses (Tong et al., 2005). In the natural course of chronic infection, loss of HBeAg expression and appearance of antibodies (anti-HBeAg) are usually accompanied by cessation of viral replication. The HBV variants appear during HBeAg seroconversion and they