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Mechanisms downstream of reverse transcription reduce serum levels of HBV DNA but not of HBsAg in chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Overview of attention for article published in Virology Journal, December 2015
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Title
Mechanisms downstream of reverse transcription reduce serum levels of HBV DNA but not of HBsAg in chronic hepatitis B virus infection
Published in
Virology Journal, December 2015
DOI 10.1186/s12985-015-0447-5
Pubmed ID
Authors

Simon B. Larsson, Sebastian Malmström, Charles Hannoun, Gunnar Norkrans, Magnus Lindh

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in serum of chronically infected patients declines by 3-4 log10 units at loss of HBe antigen (HBeAg) from serum. The mechanisms behind this decline, and the much smaller decline of surface antigen (HBsAg) levels, are still not well known. The aim of this study was to get a better understanding of this process by analysing both serum and intrahepatic markers of HBV replication. Levels of HBV DNA and HBsAg in serum, and covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) and S-RNA and total intrahepatic HBV DNA (ihDNA) in liver biopsies from 84 chronically infected patients (16 positive and 68 negative for HBeAg) were analysed. Lower HBV DNA levels within HBeAg-positive stage reflected lower levels of cccDNA and pgRNA with strong correlation. In HBeAg-negative patients, ihDNA levels were greater and HBV DNA levels in serum lower than expected from pgRNA levels. A lower HBV DNA/HBsAg ratio corresponded with lower pgRNA/cccDNA (p < 0.01) and higher S-RNA/cccDNA (p < 0.0001) ratios, suggesting that in HBeAg-negative patients transcription of pgRNA, but not of S-RNA, becomes suppressed. The marked reduction of HBV DNA in serum after loss of HBeAg appears to be due to combined reduction of cccDNA, pgRNA and yet unidentified mechanisms downstream of reverse transcription. Such mechanisms include faster clearance of circulating virus or blocked secretion of virions, the latter supported by the observed relative increase of ihDNA in HBeAg-negative patients. The smaller reduction of S-RNA than of pgRNA partly explains why HBsAg remain high in the HBeAg-negative stage, supporting the possibility of HBsAg synthesis from integrated HBV DNA.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 20 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 20 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Researcher 6 30%
Student > Bachelor 4 20%
Other 1 5%
Student > Master 1 5%
Unknown 8 40%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 6 30%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 3 15%
Immunology and Microbiology 2 10%
Social Sciences 1 5%
Medicine and Dentistry 1 5%
Other 0 0%
Unknown 7 35%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 09 December 2015.
All research outputs
#18,432,465
of 22,835,198 outputs
Outputs from Virology Journal
#2,440
of 3,046 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#280,827
of 389,038 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Virology Journal
#38
of 47 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 22,835,198 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 11th percentile – i.e., 11% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 3,046 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 25.8. This one is in the 5th percentile – i.e., 5% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 389,038 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 16th percentile – i.e., 16% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 47 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 6th percentile – i.e., 6% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.