Specific mutations in the C-terminus domain of HBV surface antigen significantly correlate with low level of serum HBV-DNA in patients with chronic HBV infection

Summary Background To define HBsAg-mutations correlated with different serum HBV-DNA levels in HBV chronically-infected drug-naive patients. Methods This study included 187 patients stratified into the following ranges of serum HBV-DNA:12–2000 IU/ml, 2000–100,000 IU/ml, and >100,000 IU/ml. HBsAg-mutations were associated with HBV-DNA levels by applying a Bayesian-Partitional-Model and Fisher-exact test. Mutant and wild-type HBV genotype-D genomes were expressed in Huh7 cells and HBsAg-production was determined in cell-supernatants at 3 days-post-transfection. Results Specific HBsAg-mutations (M197T,-S204N-Y206C/H-F220L) were significantly correlated with serum HBV-DNA 90%, P