Viral Hepatitis
Copyright ©2005 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. May 14, 2005; 11(18): 2714-2719
Published online May 14, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i18.2714
YMDD variants of HBV DNA polymerase gene: Rapid detection and clinicopathological analysis with long-term lamivudine therapy after liver transplantation
Fei Pei, Jun-Yu Ning, Jiang-Feng You, Jing-Pin Yang, Jie Zheng
Fei Pei, Jun-Yu Ning, Jiang-Feng You, Jing-Pin Yang, Jie Zheng, Department of Pathology, Health Science Center, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Professor Jie Zheng, Department of Pathology, Health Science Center, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China. zhengjie@mail.bjmu.edu.cn
Telephone: +86-10-82801731 Fax: +86-10-82801731
Received: November 12, 2004
Revised: November 13, 2004
Accepted: February 18, 2005
Published online: May 14, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To look for a rapid low-cost technique for the detection of HBV variants.

METHODS: Two patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for HBV infection were treated with lamivudine (100 mg daily) and HBV infection recurred in the grafted livers. The patients were monitored intensively for liver enzymes, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBV DNA in serum. Liver biopsy was performed regularly. HBV DNA in a conserved polymerase domain (the YMDD locus) was amplified from serum of each patient by PCR and sequenced. HBV genotypes were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the PCR products generated from a fragment of the polymerase gene.

RESULTS: YMDD wild-type HBV was detected in one patient by PCR-RFLP and DNA sequencing 19 mo after OLT, and YIDD mutant-type HBV in the other patient, 16 mo after OLT.

CONCLUSION: PCR-RFLP assay is an accurate and simple method for genotyping lamivudine-resistant HBV variants.

Keywords: Liver transplantation, HBV DNA, Polymerase gene, YMDD variants, PCR-RFLP