Iranian Journal of Medical Microbiology

Background and Aim: In hepatitis B Virus, one of major problem associate lamivudine therapy is the emergence of YMDD motif mutation in Polymerase gene leading to lamivudine resistance mutations. The aim of this study was evaluation of the incidence of the YMDD mutants among patients with chronic hepatitis B and Renal transplant recipients (RTRs).

Materials & Methods: In this study, 80 chronic hepatitis B patients who received renal transplants at Tehran city were selected. The patients serum samples were collected for molecular evaluation by nested PCR assays were used for the direct identification of hepatitis B Virus surface antigen (HBsAg). After laboratory tests the results were analyzed by using molecular software.

Results: In this study, of the 80 patients, 30 patients were positive for HBV DNA.  They were between 28 to 74 years old with the mean of 23 ± 51.The frequency of lamivudine resistance mutations in YMDD region was detected in 12 (40%) of chronic hepatitis B patients.

Conclusion: Much is still unknown about Lamivudine therapy among chronic hepatitis B RTR patients. But most studies have confirmed Lamivudine therapy in these patients is safe and it is better to use it before renal transplantation. It is suggested to follow up patients in terms of immunosuppressive therapy and HBV molecular analysis in different status of disease. Therefore, it will be possible to investigate the effect of these mutations in chronic hepatitis B RTR patients who receive immunosuppressive drugs.