Impact of hepatitis B virus surface protein mutations on the diagnosis of occult hepatitis B virus infection
Mira El Chaar, Daniel Candotti, R. Anthony Crowther, Jean Pierre Allain – 29 October 2010 – Genotype D occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections (OBIs) have a high frequency of amino acid substitutions in the major hydrophilic region of the small surface protein (S protein). This possibly reflects an escape mutation mechanism to evade detection by the host immune system. Mutations may also impact the detection of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by commercial assays.