title: New variant groups identified from HGV isolates.
abstract: We have determined the primary sequence of the 5' noncoding region (5' NCR) and putative helicase regions (NS-3) of hepatitis G virus (HGV) and GB virus C (GBV-C) that were isolated in Japan from suspected cases of nonA-nonB and/or nonA-nonB-nonC viral hepatitis by using RT-PCR, and we compared the newly isolated sequences with three established isolates. The addition of a "G" residue was found at the 5' terminus of all 8 Japanese isolates. These isolates were more clearly distinguished from the prototype viruses by comparison with the 5' NCR sequence than by comparison with the NS-3 region. Our results suggested that at least three distinct genomic variants of HGV exist. Genotyping of HGV by using RT-PCR based on the sequence of the 5' NCR seems highly feasible.
authors.affiliation: Basic Research Division, BioMedical Laboratories, Inc., Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukushi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kurihara
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishiyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: F B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Hoshino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oya
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data