The Comparison of Sequencing Method with Restriction Fragment Mass Polymorphism Method for the Detection of HBV YMDD Mutants

HBV YMDD 돌연변이형 검사 시 염기서열법과 Restriction Fragment Mass Polymorphism 법의 비교

YMDD motif mutants of the hepatitis B virus(HBV) emerge in chronic hepatitis B patients after prolonged lamivudine treatment. HBV DNA breakthrough may be accompained by the emergence of YMDD mutants. We compared the performance of the sequencing method with that of RFMP method in chronic hepatitis B patients who had suffered the HBV DNA breakthrough after lamivudine treatment. Both sequencing and RFMP methods were used to detect YMDD variants in 20 chronic hepatitis B patients. YMDD mutants were detected in 17 samples (85.0%) by both methods. Among them, no mutants were detected in two samples(10.0%), while they were detected in the other sample(5.0%) with the RFMP method. The concordance rate between both methods was 95.0%. There was inconsistency in one sample showing mutants detected by the RFMP method, but not by sequencing method. In the sequencing method, the mutants was detected in the major type virus, but not in the minor type virus. However, both sequencing and RFMP methods were highly concordant except in one sample, so it is suggested that both methods are useful to detect YMDD mutants of chronic hepatitis B patients.