Genotypes and S-gene variability of Mexican hepatitis B virus strains

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J Med Virol 2002 Sep;68(1):24-32Related Articles, Links

Genotypes and S-gene variability of Mexican hepatitis B virus strains.

Sanchez LV, Maldonado M, Bastidas-Ramirez BE, Norder H, Panduro A.

Institute of chronic degenerative diseases, Civil Hospital of Belen, Health
Sciences University Center, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico.

The genotypes and subtypes of 15 Mexican hepatitis B virus strains were
determined by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the small S-gene. The
most predominant strains were found to be divergent genotype/subtype F/adw4
strains (66.6%), followed by A/adw2 (20.0%), D/ayw3 (6.7%), and G/adw2
(6.7%). The S-genes of the Mexican genotype F strains and two Nicaraguan
strains described previously formed a subcluster with more than 4%
divergence from the other strains within this genotype. The Mexican strains
within genotypes A and D showed the highest homology with strains from
Europe and the United States. Ten amino acid substitutions not described
previously were found in the S-genes of strains from nine chronic carriers,
whereas the S gene in strains from six acute hepatitis B patients were
highly conserved as compared to their respective genotypes. One genotype F
strain from an HBsAg positive chronic carrier had a T to A mutation at
position 647, forming a translational stop at codon 216. Two genotype F
strains from HBsAg negative chronic carriers had a Val180 instead of an Ala
found in the other genotype F strains. This study shows that a divergent
genotype F predominates in Mexican strains analyzed, which presented amino
acid substitutions not reported previously outside the a determinant. J.
Med. Virol. 68:24-32, 2002. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PMID: 12210427 [PubMed - in process]