The infectivity of cloned hepatitis B viral DNA (HBV) has been tested in chimpanzees to identify a fully functional HBV genome and to assess the risk associated with its handling. Only one of two HBV DNA sequence variants tested was shown to be infectious. "Clone purified" virus of predicted nucleotide sequence was produced from the infectious HBV DNA, and the cloned viral genome was identical ...

BACKGROUND The roadmap concept suggests the use of on-treatment HBV DNA to guide treatment strategy of chronic hepatitis B patients treated by telbivudine. Our aim was to validate the roadmap approach of entecavir switch therapy in patients with incomplete response to telbivudine. METHODS Consecutive chronic hepatitis B patients on telbivudine monotherapy were studied. Incomplete virological ...

BACKGROUND Nucleos(t)ide analogues reduce the incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in cancer patients undergoing systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy but the experience of solid tumors remains limited. Aims. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of entecavir and lamivudine in the prophylaxis of HBV reactivation in solid tumor patients undergoing systemic cytotoxic chemothera...

The measurement of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA is important for the assessment of liver disease and treatment efficacy. Most commercially available assays for the determination of HBV DNA levels have limited linear ranges. This study was performed to evaluate the clinical performance of the Digene Hybrid Capture II (Digene HC II assay) and the COBAS AMPLICOR Monitor test (COBAS-AM assay), with ...

We examined the methylation status of CCGG sites in hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA to determine whether methylation could be responsible for the selective expression of the HBV surface gene in chronic hepatitis B infection and hepatocellular carcinoma. Infected liver tissue from patients with low levels of viral replication was analyzed for HBV DNA copy number per haploid cell genome. Total cellul...

BACKGROUND/AIM To examine the risks for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with respect to hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes, specific viral mutations (MT), serum HBV DNA levels, and cirrhosis. METHODS HBV genotypes, 1653/1753/core promoter (CP)/precore MT and HBV DNA levels were determined in 248 HBV patients with HCC and 248 HBV controls. RESULTS Genotype C, CP-MT, T1653, HBV DNA levels >or=4...

Boehmeria nivea extract (BNE) is widely used in southern Taiwan as a folk medicine for hepato-protection and hepatitis treatment. In previous studies, we demonstrated that BNE could reduce the supernatant hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in HBV-producing HepG2 2.2.15 cells. In the present study, we established an animal model of HBV viremia and used it to validate the efficacy of BNE in vivo. In thi...

HBV (hepatitis B virus) genotyping is important in determining the clinical manifestation of disease and treatment response, particularly, in patients with low viral loads. Also, sensitive detection of HBV antiviral drug resistance mutations is essential for monitoring therapy response.Asensitive direct sequencing method for genotyping and the drug resistance mutation detection of low levels of...

PURPOSE Increased HBV-DNA concentration is a prognostic factor of disease progression in chronic hepatitis B patients. Moreover, active hepatic inflammation during HBV replication influences apoptosis intensification. The aim of this study was to estimate occurrence of HBV replication among carriers of HBsAg. Furthermore, we analysed the correlation between HBV replication and HBeAg or anti-HBe...