-transparent.png){kind=logo}
BACKGROUND Interferon might induce mutation in regions of hepatitis B virus DNA that encode for immunologic target of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. OBJECTIVE To investigate the short-term effect of steroid priming and interferon therapy on hepatitis B virus, we followed the nucleotide changes in the precore and core region of hepatitis B virus DNA in seven healthy asymptomatic carriers who underwent steroid priming followed by recombinant alpha interferon for 3 months. METHODS Hepatitis B virus DNA from serial sera of the patients were polymerase chain reaction-amplified, and the precore and core region directly sequenced and analysed. RESULTS Analysis revealed no serial changes in the hepatitis B virus nucleotide sequence in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONS Steroid priming and short-term treatment with interferon in healthy asymptomatic patients does not select for hepatitis B virus with mutations in the precore and core region.
W How, and
W C Ng, and
M F Tan, and
B L Seet, and
R Guan
December 1982,
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,
W How, and
W C Ng, and
M F Tan, and
B L Seet, and
R Guan
October 1981,
The New England journal of medicine,
W How, and
W C Ng, and
M F Tan, and
B L Seet, and
R Guan
January 1989,
Terapevticheskii arkhiv,
W How, and
W C Ng, and
M F Tan, and
B L Seet, and
R Guan
May 1974,
Journal of clinical pathology,
W How, and
W C Ng, and
M F Tan, and
B L Seet, and
R Guan
April 1988,
The Journal of infectious diseases,
W How, and
W C Ng, and
M F Tan, and
B L Seet, and
R Guan
January 1984,
Voprosy virusologii,
W How, and
W C Ng, and
M F Tan, and
B L Seet, and
R Guan
May 1986,
Journal of medical virology,
W How, and
W C Ng, and
M F Tan, and
B L Seet, and
R Guan
December 1986,
Journal of medical virology,
W How, and
W C Ng, and
M F Tan, and
B L Seet, and
R Guan
June 1974,
Acta hepato-gastroenterologica,
W How, and
W C Ng, and
M F Tan, and
B L Seet, and
R Guan
September 1993,
Annals of internal medicine,
