Substantial variation in the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-positive patients from South Africa: Reliable detection of HBV by the Elecsys HBsAg II assay

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection affects nearly 250 million people worldwide and can lead to long-term complications, such as liver cirrhosis, hepatic failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma [1,2]. HBV is differentiated into 10 genotypes (A –J) based on differences in genome sequence of more than 8%. The currently known HBV genotypes vary in their ethno-geographic distribution and exhibit differences in their genetic variation patterns, disease chronicity, and their response to antiviral treatment [3].

Source: Journal of Clinical Virology - March 10, 2018 Category: Virology Authors: Mikael Gencay, Marion Vermeulen, Dionysis Neofytos, Gaston Westergaard, Stephan Pabinger, Albert Kriegner, Anja Seffner, Peter Gohl, Kirsten Huebner, Markus Nauck, Wolfgang E. Kaminski Source Type: research