Comparative analysis of the gut microbiota of wild adult rats from nine district areas in Hainan, China.

Background: Wild rats have the potential to hold zoonotic infectious agents that can spread to humans and cause disease.

Aim: To better understand the composition of gut bacterial communities in rats is essential for preventing and treating such diseases. As a tropical island located in the south of China, Hainan province has abundant rat species.

Influence of the basal core promoter and precore mutation on replication of hepatitis B virus and antiviral susceptibility of different genotypes.

Mutations in the basal core promoter (BCP) and precore (PC) regions of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) are more common in genotypes B and C than in genotype A, suggesting that these mutations might affect replication competency depending on genotype. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of these mutations on the capacity of HBV for replication and antiviral drug susceptibility according to genotype. Genotypes A, B, and C of HBV strains with a BCP mutation, PC mutation, or BCP + PC mutation were made by site-directed mutagenesis.

Different mechanism of selection of adefovir-resistant mutant viruses during adefovir monotherapy in patients with lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B.

Background: Adefovir (ADV) resistance is more frequent in lamivudine (LMV)-resistant chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients than in nucleos(t)ide analogue-naïve patients. The majority of LMV-resistant mutants harbor the rtM204V/I mutation, while a minor fraction harbor the rtA181V/T mutation. We aimed to elucidate the mechanism of the high rate of ADV resistance in LMV-resistant patients during ADV therapy.

Response to adefovir depends on mutation patterns in precore region, basal core promoter and reverse transcriptase, and on-treatment responses in Lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B patients.

Objective: In vitro studies showed that mutations in the basal core promoter (BCP) or precore (PC) region restore the replication inefficiency of the lamivudine-resistant mutant. The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of molecular characteristics on the antiviral response to adefovir in patients with lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Methods: Sixty-six lamivudine-resistant patients who were treated with adefovir monotherapy were studied.

Molecular characteristics and functional analysis of full-length hepatitis B virus quasispecies from a patient with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

It has been hypothesized that naturally occurring mutations in HBV may play a role in the pathogenesis of HBV-related disease. We determined the molecular characteristics of naturally occurring HBV isolates and performed a functional analysis of full-length hepatitis B virus quasispecies from a patient with chronic hepatitis B. The 10 HBV clones isolated were identified as HBV genotype B4 and subtype adw.

New scoring system for predicting relapse after lamivudine-induced hepatitis B e-antigen loss in chronic hepatitis B patients.

Aim: In endemic areas of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, lamivudine-induced hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg) loss is not durable. We developed a scoring system to predict the relapse after lamivudine-induced HBeAg loss.

Methods: Of 93 HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients receiving lamivudine therapy, we studied the 30 patients who achieved HBeAg loss.

Sequential accumulation of the basal core promoter and the precore mutations in the progression of hepatitis B virus-related chronic liver disease.

Objectives: Despite the pathogenic role of the basal core promoter (BCP) and the precore mutations in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, their role in the progression of liver disease is still controversial. We analyzed whether the accumulation of these mutations might enhance the progression of HBV-related chronic liver disease.

Methods: Forty consecutive patients at each clinical status were analyzed.

Chronic blockade of the angiotensin II receptor has a differential effect on adipose and vascular PAI-1 in OLETF rats.

Angiotensinogen (AGT) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) are expressed in both vascular and adipose tissues. Angiotensin II (AG II) has an adipogenic effect and increases PAI-1 expression. To evaluate the chronic effects of AG II type 1 receptor (AT(1)R) antagonism on adipose mass and PAI-1 expression in vascular and adipose tissues, losartan (30mg/kg/day) was administered to Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, a model of type 2 diabetes, for 20 weeks.

Hepatitis B virus genotypes in Korea: an endemic area of hepatitis B virus infection.

Objectives: It has been reported that distribution of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes shows geographic difference and are associated with clinical outcomes of HBV infection, including response to antiviral therapy and progression of chronic liver diseases. In this study, we analyzed the distribution of HBV genotypes according to the various clinical outcomes of chronic HBV infection in Korea, which is one of the most endemic areas of HBV infection.

Methods: A total of 200 patients with chronic HBV infection were enrolled.