Figure 3个  Table 3个
    • Family Patient Relation Sex Age (Years) HBsAg (IU/mL) HBeAg (S/CO) HBV DNA (IU/mL)
      Ⅰ Ia Mother F 30.7 128640 2299.3 1.42×108
      37.0 256360 2928.0 5.50×107
      Ⅰb Daughter F 5.9 70720 2055.2 1.14×108
      Ⅱ Ⅱa Mother F 21.4 52890 2607.8 9.04×106
      28.0 29124 2119.4 3.00×106
      Ⅱb Daughter F 6.1 57550 1719.4 8.99×106
      Ⅲ Ⅲa Mother F 25.5 3448 3270.6 5.91×106
      32.3 8752 1885.7 5.29×106
      Ⅲb Daughter F 6.4 11130 1876.5 5.97×106
      Ⅳ Ⅳa Mother F 25.8 149280 2297.9 1.06×107
      33.0 139260 2794.2 1.08×107
      Ⅳb Son M 6.7 133200 2178.9 2.32×107
      Ⅴ Ⅴa Mother F 25.6 36758 1820.9 2.39×106
      32.7 94220 2612.9 3.67×107
      Ⅴb Son M 6.7 31676 1662.9 4.11×107
      Ⅵ Ⅵa Mother F 22.5 32580 1542.3 5.99×106
      28.5 81490 1829.3 2.63×107
      Ⅵb Daughter F 5.6 60600 2279.6 1.27×108
      Ⅶ Ⅶa Mother F 27.4 37688 1133.0 5.68×106
      34.3 60530 1510.8 1.27×107
      Ⅶb Daughter F 6.5 69900 1693.3 2.14×107
      Ⅷ Ⅷa Mother F 24.2 84270 1655.5 2.16×107
      30.2 27038 1759.0 2.60×107
      Ⅷb Son M 5.5 70942 1489.8 2.13×107
      All patients were negative for IgM antibody against hepatitis B core antigen, and had normal levels of ALT. They were in the phase 1, the HBeAg-positive chronic infection phase, previously known as the immune tolerant phase of HBV infection.

      Table 1.  Virological characteristics in group one consisting of younger mothers and their children.

    • Family No. Patient No. Relation Sex Age (Years) HBsAg (IU/mL) HBeAg (S/CO) anti-HBe (S/CO) HBV DNA (IU/mL) ALT (U/L) Phasea
      Ⅸ Ⅸa Index F 78 92 0.4 0.2 5.51×106 969.8 2
      Ⅸb Daughter F 53 1803 - + 2.40×102 12.6 3
      Ⅸc Son M 45 97005 2214.9 - 1.59×108 34.5 1
      X Xa Index F 71 254 - + 2.86×106 237.1 4
      Xb Son M 40 168 - - 1.32×102 16.9 3
      Ⅺ Ⅺa Index F 63 244.11 1.58 1.72 Undetectable 78.2 2
      Ⅺb Son M 41 983 6.9 1.75 1.05×106 44.8 2
      Ⅺc Son M 38 827 - + 3.28×102 17.9 3
      Ⅻ Ⅻa Indexb F 46 - - + Undetectable 22.4 5
      Ⅻb Daughter F 23 10182 - + 3.40×102 24.6 3
      Ⅻc Son M 21 4678 490.4 16.02 1.26×106 550.3 2
      ⅩⅢ ⅩⅢa Index M 46 5725 - + 1.51×102 40.3 3
      ⅩⅢb Son M 22 5202 - + 1.43×102 19.5 3
      ⅩⅣ ⅩⅣa Index F 40 155 0.6 + 1.94×103 71.8 2
      ⅩⅣb Husband M 40 0.8 - - 1.25×102 14.7 3
      All patients were positive for total antibody against hepatitis B core antigen.
      aPhases 1–5 refer to HBeAg-positive chronic infection, HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis, HBeAg-negative chronic infection, HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis, and HBsAg-negative phase, respectively.
      bThis patient had history of chronic HBV infection and did not receive antiviral therapy, but showed negative HBsAg and positive anti-HBs at the enrollment.

      Table 2.  Virological characteristics in group two consisting of elderly parents and adult offspring.

    • Family Patient Relation Sex Age (Years) Compared to indexa Compared to GQ205441
      nt (%) aa (%) nt (%) aa (%)
      Group one
      Ⅰ Ⅰa Index F 30.7 - - 3 (0.48) 0 (0.0)
      37.0 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 3 (0.48) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅰb Daughter F 5.9 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 3 (0.48) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅱ Ⅱa Index F 21.4 - - 5 (0.8) 0 (0.0)
      28.0 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 5 (0.8) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅱb Daughter F 6.1 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 5 (0.8) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅲ Ⅲa Index F 25.5 - - 4 (0.64) 0 (0.0)
      32.3 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 4 (0.64) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅲb Daughter F 6.4 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 4 (0.64) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅳ Ⅳa Index F 25.8 - - 4 (0.64) 0 (0.0)
      33.0 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 4 (0.64) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅳb Son M 6.7 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 4 (0.64) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅴ Ⅴa Index F 25.6 - - 5 (0.8) 0 (0.0)
      32.7 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 5 (0.8) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅴb Son M 6.7 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 5 (0.8) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅵ Ⅵa Index F 22.5 - - 8 (1.28) 0 (0.0)
      28.5 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 8 (1.28) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅵb Daughter F 5.6 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 8 (1.28) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅶ Ⅶa Index F 27.4 - - 4 (0.64) 0 (0.0)
      34.3 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 4 (0.64) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅶb Daughter F 6.5 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 4 (0.64) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅷ Ⅷa Index F 24.2 - - 9 (1.44) 0 (0.0)
      30.2 1 (0.001) 0 (0.0) 8 (1.28) 0 (0.0)
      Ⅷb Son M 5.5 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 9 (1.44) 0 (0.0)
      Group two
      Ⅸ Ⅸa Index F 78 - - 23 (3.69) 15 (7.2)
      Ⅸb Daughter F 53 35 (5.61) 28 (13.46) 24 (3.85) 17 (8.2)
      Ⅸc Son M 45 22 (3.53) 14 (6.73) 6 (0.96) 1 (0.5)
      Ⅹ Ⅹa Index F 71 - - 9 (1.44) 5 (2.4)
      Ⅹb Son M 40 14 (2.24) 10 (4.80) 13 (2.08) 7 (3.4)
      Ⅺ Ⅺa Index F 63 Undetectable
      Ⅺb Son M 41 - - 6 (0.96) 4 (1.9)
      Ⅺc Son M 38 19 (3.04) 11 (5.29) 23 (3.69) 15 (7.2)
      Ⅻ Ⅻa Index F 46 Undetectable
      Ⅻb Daughter F 23 - - 14 (2.24) 10 (4.8)
      Ⅻc Son M 21 20 (3.21) 15 (7.21) 13 (2.08) 8 (3.8)
      ⅩⅢ ⅩⅢa Index M 46 - - 24 (3.85) 14 (6.7)
      ⅩⅢb Son M 22 27 (4.33) 19 (9.13) 7 (1.12) 7 (3.4)
      ⅩⅣ ⅩⅣa Index F 40 - - 15 (2.4) 10 (4.8)
      ⅩⅣb Husband M 40 16 (2.56) 12 (5.76) 13 (2.08) 7 (3.4)
      aPre-C/C sequences were compared to the sequences recovered from the index patients during the second trimester in families Ⅰ–Ⅷ, and to the sequences recovered from the index patients or other infected family members in families Ⅸ–ⅩⅣ.

      Table 3.  Nucleotide and amino acid variations in pre-C/C gene among family members or compared to GQ205441.