New series of escape mutants of human respiratory syncytial virus were prepared with monoclonal antibodies specific for the fusion (F) protein. Sequence changes selected in the escape mutants identified two new antigenic sites (V and VI) recognized by neutralizing antibodies and a group-specific site (I) in the F1 chain of the F molecule. The new epitopes, and previously identified antigenic si...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study was conducted by the International Consortium for Blood Safety (ICBS) to identify high-quality test kits for detection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) for the benefit of developing countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS The 70 HBsAg test kits from around the world were evaluated comparatively for their clinical sensitivity, analytical sensitiv...

The presence of anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antibody (anti-HBc) is considered a sensitive lifetime marker of HBV infection. Here, we examined this dogma by investigating the prevalence of hepatitis B viremia in anti-HBc negative complete vaccines in Taiwan.A total of 795 participants (1.7-20.0 years old) had completed HBV vaccination in infancy and were anti-HBc negative. Serum samples we...

Viruses have evolved various strategies to escape from the innate cellular mechanisms inhibiting viral replication and spread. Extensive evidence has highlighted the ineffectiveness of interferon (IFN) therapy against chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, implying the existence of mechanisms by which HBV evades IFN-induced antiviral responses. In our current study, we demonstrate that HBV ...

The core promoter of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is crucial in viral replication. Our previous investigation in clinical serum samples indicated that deletions in the viral core promoter (from nucleotide 1758 to 1777 and 1749 to 1768 respectively) may lead to increase in viral replication. We propose to characterize these deletion mutants in a cell-based system that supports HBV replication. Replic...

Patients chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) run the risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in later life. Antiviral treatment offers the only means of preventing such an undesirable outcome. To date, interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), an immunomodulator, and two synthetic nucleoside analogues, lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil, are the only licensed antiviral agents...

Although safe and effective vaccines for hepatitis B virus (HBV) have been available for nearly three decades, this virus kills at least 600,000 people annually worldwide and remains the leading global cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Because the HBV reverse transcriptase lacks a proofreading function, many HBV genotypes, subgenotypes, mutants, and recombinan...

Cultured hepatoma cells (HepG2) were cotransfected with two different plasmids carrying a head-to-tail dimer of recombinant hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA cloned from deletion mutants isolated from the circulation of persistently infected hosts. They were tested for the secretion of viral particles with mutant genome encapsidation. A recombinant plasmid defective in the S gene and one defective in...