Induction of endoplasmic reticulum-derived oxidative stress by an occult infection related S surface antigen variant

Figure 1 Mutation patterns of hepatitis B virus S surface antigen variant (KD) related to occult infection and a wild-type hepatitis B virus S surface antigen (NOR) and comparisons of secretory and intracellular S surface antigen levels using hepatitis B virus S surface antigen ELISAs. Sequence variations were compared between wild-type (NOR) and KD variant (W36L, T47K, N52D, V184A, and F220L) HBsAg using the MegAlign software program (DNASTAR, Wisconsin, United States) (A). Secretory and intracellular HBsAg levels after transient transfection of plasmids (MOCK, NOR, and KD) into HuH-7 cells were measured using the HBsAg ELISA assay (B). All data are expressed as the mean ± SD within a group. ^bP < 0.01 vs NOR supernatant; ^fP < 0.01 vs supernatant and pellet.