Virology

Lamivudine

Hepatitis D virus

Hepatitis B virus

Gene

Virus

Biology

Internal medicine

Hepatology

Hepatitis B

HBsAg

Medicine

cccDNA

Biochemistry

Journal of Hepatology

With great interest, we read the manuscript “Serum hepatitis B virus RNA is encapsidated pregenome RNA that may be associated with persistence of viral infection and rebound” by Wang et al. published in the Journal of Hepatology [ [1] Wang J. Shen T. Huang X. Renuka Kumar G. Chen X. Zeng Z. et al. Serum hepatitis B virus RNA is encapsidated pregenome RNA that may be associated with persistence of viral infection and rebound. J Hepatol. 2016; 65: 700-710https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2016.05.029 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (282) Google Scholar ]. The authors confirmed the recent observation that in addition to hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, HBV RNA is present in the serum of chronically HBV-infected patients [ 2 Jansen L. Kootstra N.A. van Dort K.A. Takkenberg R.B. Reesink H.W. Zaaijer H.L. Hepatitis B virus pregenomic RNA is present in virions in plasma and is associated with a response to pegylated interferon alfa-2a and nucleos(t)ide analogues. J Infect Dis. 2016; 213: 224-232 Crossref PubM...

Serum HBV pgRNA as a clinical marker for cccDNA activity