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Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Detection and Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA
04:11

Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Detection and Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA

Published on: December 15, 2023

Hepatitis B virus genotype change in children is closely related to HBeAg/anti-HBe seroconversion

Stefan Wirth1, Flavia Bortolotti, Carl Brunert

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, HELIOS Medical Centre, Witten/Herdecke University, Wuppertal, Germany. stefan.wirth@helios-kliniken.de

Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
|April 10, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype shifts are common in children with chronic hepatitis B, particularly after losing HBeAg. These changes occur regardless of antiviral treatment, highlighting a need for further research into influencing factors.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Virology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can lead to genotype changes over time.
  • Understanding these shifts in children is crucial for long-term management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the frequency and patterns of HBV genotype changes in European children.
  • To compare genotype shifts in treated versus untreated children with chronic hepatitis B.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 85 HBeAg-positive children over a mean of 7.1 years.
  • HBV genotyping performed using restriction fragment length polymorphism.
  • Analysis included patients who achieved anti-HBe seroconversion and those receiving antiviral therapy.

Main Results:

  • Genotype D was most common at enrollment (67%), followed by A (11%), B (4%), and C/mixed (3%).
  • Overall, 19% of children experienced a genotype change.
  • Genotype shifts were significantly more frequent in children who seroconverted to anti-HBe (23%) compared to those remaining HBeAg-positive (5%).

Conclusions:

  • HBV genotype changes are frequent in children with chronic hepatitis B post-anti-HBe seroconversion.
  • These shifts appear independent of antiviral treatment.
  • Further investigation is needed to understand the factors driving these genotype changes in susceptible individuals.
Abstract

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