Detection of hepatitis B surface antigen mutants and their integration in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Prevalence of vaccine‐induced escape mutants of hepatitis B virus in the adult population in China: A prospective study in 176 restaurant employees

“…Those subjects who harbored vaccine‐escape mutants in the present study appeared asymptomatic. They must be followed up carefully, as vaccine‐escape mutants are known to be linked to various stages of liver diseases, including acute hepatitis and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma 20–22 …”

Molecular characterization of hepatitis B virus surface antigen mutants in Singapore patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatitis B virus carriers negative for HBsAg but positive for anti‐HBs and anti‐HBc

“…These included Gln129Asn found in patients with HCC (unpubl. obs., 2000), Gly130Asp associated with antiviral therapy and Met133Thr were found in aggressive HCC tissues 12,19 . In addition, the well‐characterized Gly145Arg was also generated and used as control mutant for the measurement of antigenicity.…”

The role of hepatitis B virus integrations in the pathogenesis of human hepatocellular carcinoma

“…Specific activation of c-Raf-1/Erk2 signaling by the truncated preS2/S protein has been shown to result in an increased proliferation rate of hepatocytes [55]. HBV integrations expressing these mutations have been associated with more aggressive forms of HBVinduced HCC [56]. In addition, mutations in the precore/ core region of the HBV genome, which are associated with HBeAg negative persistent HBV infection, have been shown to occur more frequently in HBV-induced HCCs, suggesting that the precore/core mutant or hepatocytes harboring this mutant may be under immune selection and that such mutations may facilitate integration and subsequent tumor development [57].…”