<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Mutations associated with the <italic>pol</italic> and the S gene can emerge as a consequence of the high replication capacity and proofreading deficiencies of hepatitis B virus during replication. The current study was constructed to evaluate primary, partial, compensatory and the escape mutations in chronic hepatitis B patients in Northern Cyprus. The samples of HBsAg positive treatment naïve 100 patients were involved in this study. HBV <italic>pol</italic> gene region was sequenced, amplified and HBV <italic>pol</italic>/S gene mutations were determined. The samples of thirty-two patients were excluded because of their low viral load (HBV &lt; 1000 ıu/ml). Among the sequenced 68 samples, there was a partial mutation (1.5%) and 36.7% displayed a resistance profile to lamivudine, adevofir, and telbivudine. Immune response escape, vaccine escape, HBIg and diagnosis escape mutations were determined in 24%, 10%, 6%, and 4% samples of the patients, respectively. Additionally, there were six different combined mutations. These data underscored that there is no concern for primary mutations in Northern Cyprus, however, we have identified a compensatory mutation (rtV173M) that may have primary mutation characteristics by combining with other mutation patterns. Additionally, HBsAg escape mutants demonstrated that detection of the S gene together with the <italic>pol</italic> gene mutations might be beneficial and important to monitor the surveillance of S variants.</p></abstract>

Mutations associated with the pol and the S gene can emerge as a consequence of the high replication capacity and proofreading deficiencies of hepatitis B virus during replication. The current study was constructed to evaluate primary, partial, compensatory and the escape mutations in chronic hepatitis B patients in Northern Cyprus. The samples of HBsAg positive treatment naïve 100 patients were involved in this study. HBV pol gene region was sequenced, amplified and HBV pol/S gene mutations were determined. The samples of thirty-two patients were excluded because of their low viral load (HBV < 1000 ıu/ml). Among the sequenced 68 samples, there was a partial mutation (1.5%) and 36.7% displayed a resistance profile to lamivudine, adevofir, and telbivudine. Immune response escape, vaccine escape, HBIg and diagnosis escape mutations were determined in 24%, 10%, 6%, and 4% samples of the patients, respectively. Additionally, there were six different combined mutations. These data underscored that there is no concern for primary mutations in Northern Cyprus, however, we have identified a compensatory mutation (rtV173M) that may have primary mutation characteristics by combining with other mutation patterns. Additionally, HBsAg escape mutants demonstrated that detection of the S gene together with the pol gene mutations might be beneficial and important to monitor the surveillance of S variants.

Evaluation of the <italic>pol</italic>/S Gene Overlapping Mutations in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients in Northern Cyprus

Polish Journal of Microbiology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Evaluation of the /S Gene Overlapping Mutations in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients in Northern Cyprus

Mutations associated with the pol and the S gene can emerge as a consequence of the high replication capacity and proofreading deficiencies of hepatitis B...

Evaluation of the pol/S Gene Overlapping Mutations in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients in Northern Cyprus

Article Category: original-paper

Published Online: Sep 03, 2019

Page range: 317 - 322

Received: Feb 22, 2019

Accepted: May 13, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33073/pjm-2019-034

Keywords
Drug resistance, mutations, hepatitis B, Northern Cyprus

© 2019 Anton Pyskun et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Evaluation of the pol/S Gene Overlapping Mutations in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients in Northern Cyprus

Article Category: original-paper

Published Online: Sep 03, 2019

Page range: 317 - 322

Received: Feb 22, 2019

Accepted: May 13, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33073/pjm-2019-034

KeywordsDrug resistance, mutations, hepatitis B, Northern Cyprus

© 2019 Anton Pyskun et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Drug resistance, mutations, hepatitis B, Northern Cyprus