Clinical significance of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay in chronic HBV carriers

PCR was evaluated as a clinical tool for use in accurate identification of the specific etiologic agent in chronic HBV carriers. The method was found to be valuable in diagnosis and for monitoring therapy, as well as for elucidation of genotypic variants of HBV in chronic HBV cases. By this means an HBV defective variant with alterations in the preSl/preS2 sequence was detected and is consequently described here.

Biological standards for hepatitis B virus assays.