[Current contribution of molecular biology in the diagnosis of hepatitis B].

Recent advances in molecular biology had led to a better understanding of the pathology of hepatitis B virus. The polymerase chain reaction technique has shown that the genome of hepatitis B virus is highly variable. Mutations in the pre-core region are associated with HBe Ag negative chronic hepatitis and fulminant hepatitis B; moreover, rare cases of hepatitis due to HBV with mutations within the S gene have been reported in HBV-vaccinated patients. The aim of this paper is to assess the clinical, serological and therapeutic features of hepatitis B variants.