Journal
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
Volume 61, Issue 4, Pages 766-768Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkn014
Keywords
hepatitis B virus; HBV; drug resistance; lamivudine; HBsAg; occult hepatitis; vaccine
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The hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase and envelope genes overlap in such a way that resistance mutations to antiviral agents in the reverse transcriptase gene may affect the antigenicity of the HBV surface antigen. Mutant viruses may escape serological diagnosis using specific anti-HBV surface antigen antibodies, causing occult forms of chronic hepatitis B. Moreover, these HBV strains may evade vaccine protection, representing a public health challenge. Thus, the circulation of HBVs encoding envelope mutations selected by antiviral agents requires close monitoring.
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