Detection and characterization of Hepatitis B virus double-stranded linear DNA-derived covalently closed circular DNA in chronic hepatitis B patients - PubMed
6 hours ago
- #Hepatitis B virus
- #Chronic Hepatitis B
- #dsl-cccDNA
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication produces double-stranded linear DNA (dslDNA), which can form dslDNA-derived covalently closed circular DNA (dsl-cccDNA) via nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ).
- The study identified dsl-cccDNA in 32 out of 56 liver biopsies from chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, with higher prevalence in HBeAg(+) cases.
- Clonally expanded deletions in the X gene region (around nt 1760) were found in all dsl-cccDNA-positive samples.
- dsl-cccDNA levels and diversity were higher in HBeAg(+) CHB patients and correlated with cccDNA levels and serum viral load.
- Replication-defective dsl-cccDNA may contribute to immune evasion, HBV integration, and complicate HBV pathogenesis.