The amount of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA has no correlationship with aminotransferases and multiple HBV mutants coexist in chronic hepatitis B patients

We tried to semiquantitize HBV DNA and reevaluate how the amount of HBV DNA affects the aminotransferases in blood using 60 chronic hepatitis B patients who were divided into 6 groups depending on HBsAg, HbeAg/Ab and aminotransferases. Our results showed that the amount of HBV DNA has no correlationship with aminotransferases in chronic hepatitis B patients whose HBsAg and HBeAg are both positive. However, the amount of HBV DNA is generally in low level in HbsAg (+), HBeAb (+) patients whose aminotransferases are within a normal range. In contrast, the amount of HBV DNA and aminotransferases has no correlationship in HBsAg (+), HBeAb (+) patients when aminotransferases are high. To find multiple HBV mutants in a single patient and diverse mutant populations in chronic hepatitis B patients, we analyzed the amplifed PCR products of HBV core region using single strand conformational polymorphysm (SSCP) and DNA sequecing. Our results showed that multiple HBV mutants coexist in a single patient and that t[BV mutant populations are different from patients to patients. These observation suggest that enormous populations of ttBV mutants exist in chronic hepatitis B patients.