Molecular Analysis of Hepatitis B Virus DNA and Mutation Status in Patients Under Lamivudine [(-) 2' 3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine] Therapy

Abstract

Quantitative analysis of HBV-DNA is extensively used worldwide for monitoring of lamivudine therapy of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. We have analyzed the quantity of HBV-DNA during lamivudine therapy and investigated the relationship of lamivudine resistance to mutation type. Ninety-one hepatitis B patients were enrolled in the study where Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) did estimation of HBV DNA and mutation was analyzed by sequence detection via PCR. HBV-DNA was detected in the serum of 96.7% (88/91) patients with mean viral load ranging from 1 ´ 105 to 1 ´ 109. More than 80% patients responded to and 17.3% patients showed resistance to lamivudine therapy. All lamivudine resistant patients had HBV YMDD mutation of either rtL180M/M204V or rtL180M/ M204I type. PCR based analysis of HBV DNA and sequence based mutation detection can be a practically feasible approach in Bangladesh to monitor hepatitis B patients under lamivudine therapy. Key words: Lamivudine, Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Mutation Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.4(2) 2005 The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website