Selection of escape mutants with mutations within the target sequence could abolish the antiviral RNA interference activity. Here, we investigated the impact of a pre-existing shRNA-resistant HBV variant on the efficacy of shRNA therapy. We previously identified a highly potent shRNA, S1, which, when delivered by an adeno-associated viral vector, effectively inhibits HBV replication in HBV tran...

HBV is a member of Hepadnavirus genus. HBV is a DNA virus with a diameter of 42 nm consisting of an outer lipid envelope which contains proteins HBsAg, pre-S1 and pre-S2. HBsAg is a product of ‘s’ gen. The s geneinvolves ‘a’ epitope124. -147. codones and this region is the affecting region for anti-HBs antibody binding. Vaccine /Immunglobulin escape mutations occur at HBV DNA s gene’s ‘a determ...

The Abbott HBV RUO Sequencing assay (Abbott Molecular Inc., Des Plaines, IL), which combines automated sample processing, real-time PCR, and bidirectional DNA sequencing, was evaluated for detection of nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) resistance-associated mutations located in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase (Pol) gene. Interpretive software from the assay manufacturer was modified to allow i...

Immune escape variants of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) represent an emerging clinical challenge, because they can be associated with vaccine escape, HBV reactivation, and failure of diagnostic tests. Recent data suggest a preferential selection of immune escape mutants in distinct peripheral blood leukocyte compartments of infected individuals. We therefore systematically analyzed the functional...

Perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been controlled incompletely despite adequate immunoprophylaxis in infants. The aim of this study was to characterize virological factors of HBV associated with vaccine failure in Thailand. Sera of 14 infected infants (13 HBeAg-positive and one HBeAg-negative) with vaccine failure and their respective mothers (group M1) were tested quantitat...

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major global health problem especially in sub-Saharan Africa and in East Asia. Ten hepatitis B virus genotypes have been described that differ by geographic distribution, disease progression, and response to treatment. Escape mutations within the surface open reading frame (ORF) affect HBV antigenicity leading to failures in diagnosis, vaccine and hepatit...

Viruses employ various means to evade immune detection. Reduction of CD8(+) T cell epitopes is one of the common strategies used for this purpose. Hepatitis B virus (HBV), a member of the Hepadnaviridae family, has four open reading frames, with about 50% overlap between the genes they encode. We computed the CD8(+) T cell epitope density within HBV proteins and the mutations within the epitope...

abstract       background and objective: hepatitis b virus (hbv) is a dna virus with high tendency toward hepatic tissue. there are currently about 3 million hbv-infected people and 350 to 400 million chronic carriers of this virus in the world. x protein plays a role in the over-expression of oncogenes, carcinogenicity of liver cells and overlaps with the basal core promoter of the virus. muta...

Objective (s):The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between vaccine therapy and appearance of mutations in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients. Materials and Methods: 16 patients received the HBV vaccine and another 16 individuals from the control group did not. The surface gene was amplified and directly sequenced from samples...

abstract background: naturally occurred hepatitis b virus (hbv) with surface mutations in a variety of chronic hepatitis b (chb) patients who have received no vaccine or hbig bearing substitutions in surface protein, have been reported. objectives: current knowledge concerning the prevalence of these naturally occurring surface antigen mutations among iranian carriers is limited. patients and m...