Molecular genotyping of hepatitis B virus.

The development of new therapeutic agents against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the predictable emergence of resistant mutants have highlighted the need to provide new molecular assays for optimal therapeutic management. Similarly, other variants and genotypes of HBV have now been identified that appear to have distinct clinical and pathological importance. This paper outlines the current clinical importance of HBV on a global scale, reviews the current generation of molecular genotyping assays and discusses the prospects for new assays in the near future.