Image Based Question-65644

A male patient is observed to be HBs Ag antigen positive HBe Ag antigen negative and anti-HBe antibody positive. 1 marked in this grapph is observed to be 100,000/ml while SGOT and SGPT are elevated to 6 times the upper limit of normal value. What is the likely diagnosis?

A. HBV surface mutant.

B. HBV precore mutant.

C. Wild HBs Ag.

D. Inactive HBV carrier.

Correct Answer » B Explanation

Ans. is.  b

1 in this graph is HBV DNA

Patient in the question stem is showing features of chronic active hepatitis. HBeAg  is negative due to the pre core mutant variant of hepatitis B. Pre core mutation is responsible for the decrease or non production of HBeAg. Such mutations often occur at the time of seroconversion from HBe Ag to anti HBe Ab.