Correlation of fulminant hepatitis B and escape mutations in the 2nd loop of the HBsAg a-determinant

Most of the estimated 600,000 fatalities caused by Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) annually derive from sequelae of chronic infection. Chronification is strongly and inversely correlated with symptoms of hepatitis with cases leading to chronification usually not showing symptoms and cases with symptoms mostly leading to cure within 6 months. Key to this phenomenon is a strong immune response to viral components, which leads to elimination of infected hepatocytes and thereby causes clinical symptoms. Because of this, one of the most promising therapeutic approaches is to elicit a T-cell response against viral proteins by…