[Effects of interferon treatment on mutation of hepatitis B virus precore genome]

Effects of interferon (IFN) treatment on mutation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) precore were studied with a rapid polymerase chain reaction method to investigate the stop codon in the distal precore region during HBV precore mutation. 6 cases of chronic hepatitis B were treated with recombinant IFN alpha 1 3 x 10(6) U/day for 14 weeks. In 4 of them HBV DNA was undetectable after treatment. Precore mutant was detected in the remaining 2 cases whose HBV DNA was still positive. In a group of 11 cases not treated with IFN, mutants were detected in 3. HBV e antigen (HBeAg) became negative after IFN treatment in one case, the original wild strain was replaced by a status of co-existence of mutant and wild strain. These results suggest that HBeAg negative seroconversion after IFN treatment does not necessarily implicate a complete clearance of HBV and the possibility of mutation of precore still exists.