ABSENCE OF PRECORE STOP MUTANT IN CHRONIC DUAL (B AND C) AND TRIPLE (B, C, AND D) HEPATITIS-VIRUS INFECTION

Sequences of hepatitis B virus (HBV) precore regions from 7 patients w ith HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) dual infection and 2 with HBV, HCV , and hepatitis D virus (HDV) triple infection were analyzed. Two pati ents, 1 with only acute HBV infection and 1 with only chronic HBV infe ction, were also included for comparison. All patients had antibodies against HBV e antigen (anti-HBe) except 1 with chronic hepatitis B and C. No precore stop mutation at codon 28 (TGG to TAG mutation) was fou nd in 21 cloned sequences from the 7 patients with HBV and HCV infecti on, nor in II cloned sequences from 2 patients with HBV, HCV, and HDV infection. However, mutations in other positions of the precore region were observed in 2 patients with hepatitis B and C. In both cases, pr ecore sequences with mutations in different positions were obtained fr om the same serum sample. No mutations were observed in other position s of the precore region in the 2 patients with hepatitis B, C, and D. The presence of anti-HBe in these patients was probably due to the low level of HBV replication and not to the presence of the precore stop mutant.