@article {31231,
	title = {The nucleotide changes within HBV core promoter/precore during the first 12weeks of nucleos(t)ide treatment might be associated with a better virological response},
	journal = {Infect Genet Evol },
	volume = {49},
	year = {2017},
	pages = {116-121},
	abstract = {
Objectives:\&nbsp;We aimed to study the dynamic changes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) core promoter/precore (CP/preC) sequences during antiviral treatment and their associations with virological responses.
Materials and methods:\&nbsp;The baseline and 12-week CP/preC sequences (nts 1655-2014) were obtained from 52 chronic hepatitis B patients with positive hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), who received a 104-week lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil combination therapy. The mutations within the CP/preC were analyzed against genotype specific reference sequences. The nucleotide change rates in individuals during therapy were analyzed in a pairwise comparison manner.
Results:\&nbsp;There was no significant difference of the mutation rate at each nucleotide site between baseline and week 12 of treatment (P\&gt;0.05). The mutation rates of A1762T/G1764A and G1896A were found to decrease from 46.2\% (24/52) at baseline to 36.5\% (19/52) at week 12 (P=0.426) and from 28.8\% (15/52) to 21.2\% (11/52) (P=0.497), respectively. The nucleotide change rates varied from 0.0\% - 7.8\% in individuals [0.0\% in Group 1 (N=26); 0.3\% - 7.8\% in Group 2 (N=26)] during the first 12-week treatment. HBV DNA levels in Group 2 were significantly lower than those in Group 1 throughout therapy (P\&lt;0.01) (e.g., 1.5{\textpm}1.3log10\&nbsp;IU/ml vs. 2.6{\textpm}1.0log10\&nbsp;IU/ml at week 104, P=0.001). At week 104 the rates of HBV DNA undetectable and HBeAg loss in Group 2 were significantly higher than those in Group 1 (P\&lt;0.05). Along with the increased nucleotide change rates, the rate of HBV DNA undetectable at week 104 tended to increase (odds ratio=0.323, 95\% confidence interval=0.138-0.758, P\&lt;0.001).
Conclusion:\&nbsp;Our findings suggested that the nucleotide changes within HBV CP/preC region during the first 12-week treatment might be associated with a better virological response.

Keywords:\&nbsp;Antiviral response; Core promoter; Hepatitis B virus; Mutation; Nucleotide change; Precore.},
	url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28088502/},
	author = {Yaqin Peng and Yutang Li and Jinlin Hou and Jian Sun and Mingze Su and Li, Yao and Kuanhui Xiang and Ling Yan and Hui Zhuang and Li, Tong}
}
