Coexistence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) and anti-HBs antibodies in chronic hepatitis B virus carriers: influence of "a" determinant variants.

Abstract excerpt

In chronic hepatitis B (CHB), the persistence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) is sometimes associated with antibodies (Ab) to HBs (anti-HBs). To assess the hypothesis of the selection of HBs Ag immune escape variants in CHB patients, the variability of the HBV S gene was determined for patients persistently carrying both HBs Ag and anti-HBs antibodies and patients solely positive for HBs Ag. We selected...

Topics

• Carrier State
• Cloning, Molecular
• Genetic Variation
• Hepatitis B Antibodies
• Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
• Hepatitis B virus
• Hepatitis B, Chronic
• Humans
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Mutation
• Sequence Analysis, DNA