Li MR, Xu ZG, Lu JH, et al. - Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients were assessed at the immune‐tolerance (IT) phase for basal core promoter/precore (BCP/PC) mutations. Researchers enrolled 301 patients comprising of 88 (29.24%) at the IT phase and 213 (70.76%) at immune‐clearance (IC) phase, for comparison of the frequency of BCP/PC mutations and their clinical presentations. They identified significantly lower frequency of BCP/PC mutations in those in IT phase vs IC phase (15.91% vs 64.79 %). Significantly more frequent existence of the BCP mutation vs the PC mutation was noted in both groups and also in all IC subgroups. Significantly higher quantitative anti‐HBc levels were observed in IT patients with BCP/PC mutations vs those with wild‐type virus. In addition, IT patients with BCP/PC mutations exhibited significantly lower mean levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, total bilirubin, and qAnti‐HBc when compared with IC patients. Furthermore, these patients were significantly younger in mean age; had higher platelet count, higher levels of HBV DNA and surface antigen, as well as higher frequency of genotype B than those of IC patients with fibrosis > 2. Findings revealed existence of BCP/PC mutations in IT patients with CHB. These patients exhibit distinct clinical characteristics when compared with patients with wild‐type or at IC phase.