Hepatitis B Virus Genotypes Influence the Response to Antiviral Therapy

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been classified into eight genotypes (A-H) based on genome sequence divergence. Genotypes of HBV have distinct geographical distributions, and two genotypes account for most HBV worldwide.

Hepatitis B e antigen expression lasts longer and liver disease is more severe with graver outcomes in carriers of genotype C than B in Asia.

Accumulating lines of evidence indicate a better response to interferon and lamivudine in patients with chronic hepatitis B who are infected with genotype B rather than C.

The therapeutic response may differ, however, in patients infected with HBV of the same genotype. For example, the response to lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) is poorer in patients infected with subtype Ba, which contains a recombination with genotype C, than in those with subtype Bj without such a recombination.

The authors conclude, “Influence of genotypes on therapeutic response needs to be examined in patients infected with the other genotypes, particularly in those with genotype A or D infection.”

Department of Gastroenterology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

1/05/05

Reference
N Akuta and H Kumada. Influence of hepatitis B virus genotypes on the response to antiviral therapies. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.  Dec 23, 2004 [Epub ahead of print]. 

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