Molecular and Genetic Characterization of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) among Saudi Chronically HBV-Infected Individuals.
- Resource Type
- Academic Journal
- Authors
- Di Stefano M; Department of Clinical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy.; Faleo G; Department of Clinical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy.; Leitner T; Theoretical Biology & Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USA.; Zheng W; Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.; Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.; Zhang Y; Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.; Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.; Hassan A; Division of Gastroenterology, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar 31952, Saudi Arabia.; Alwazzeh MJ; College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34221, Saudi Arabia.; Infectious Disease Division, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar 34217, Saudi Arabia.; Fiore JR; Department of Clinical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy.; Ismail M; Division of Gastroenterology, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar 31952, Saudi Arabia.; College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34221, Saudi Arabia.; Santantonio TA; Department of Clinical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy.
- Source
- Publisher: MDPI Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101509722 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1999-4915 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19994915 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Viruses Subsets: MEDLINE
- Subject
- Language
- English
The study aimed to characterize the genotype and subgenotypes of HBV circulating in Saudi Arabia, the presence of clinically relevant mutations possibly associated with resistance to antivirals or immune escape phenomena, and the possible impact of mutations in the structural characteristics of HBV polymerase. Plasma samples from 12 Saudi Arabian HBV-infected patients were analyzed using an in-house PCR method and direct sequencing. Saudi patients were infected with mainly subgenotype D1. A number of mutations in the RT gene (correlated to antiviral resistance) and within and outside the major hydrophilic region of the S gene (claimed to influence immunogenicity and be related to immune escape) were observed in almost all patients. Furthermore, the presence of mutations in the S region caused a change in the tertiary structure of the protein compared with the consensus region. Clinical manifestations of HBV infection may change dramatically as a result of viral and host factors: the study of mutations and protein-associated cofactors might define possible aspects relevant for the natural and therapeutic history of HBV infection.