Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is well-known as a major risk for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The A1762T/G1764A double mutation in the hepatitis B virus genome affects the production of HBe antigen and is established as a predictive marker for progression to HCC. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of the mutation in Thai CHB patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 78 Thai CHB patients who were assessed for hepatitis B profiles, HBsAg, HBeAg and anti-HBeAg, transaminitis, liver fibrosis defined by FIB-4 (FIB-4) score and AST to platelet ratio index (APRI), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and active hepatitis B status. HBV A1762T/G1764A mutation was examined by SYBR Green I Real-time PCR. Chi-square and Mann-Whiney U tests were performed to determine the association between the mutation and variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of patients infected with the A1762T/G1764A mutation was 44.9%. The mutation was associated with HBeAg status (p=0.027) and HBsAg levels (p=0.008), transaminitis (p=0.011), and active hepatitis B (p=0.037), but not liver fibrosis markers, FIB-4 score and APRI, and AFP. Binary logistic regression identified the mutation as a predictive factor of active hepatitis B (OR 3.5, 95%CI, 1.1-11.3, p=0.037). Patients infected with the mutant exhibited significantly higher levels of HBsAg (p=0.011) and HBV viral load (p=0.047), but lower levels of HBeAg (p=0.12) than those infected with the wild-type HBV. CONCLUSION: The data indicate the high prevalence of the A1762T/G1764A mutation and its significant association with the severity of Thai CHB patients and the HBV mutation is proposed as a predictive marker of active hepatitis B status in CHB patients.