title: Diversity of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus isolates in Singapore: predominance of group 2a and the Asian group 3 variant.
abstract: The occurrence of GBV-C/HGV infection was studied in 160 individuals from two high-risk groups in Singapore. RT-PCR of the 5'-UTR detected GBV-C/HGV RNA in 3/73 (4.1%) of patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis for chronic renal failure, and in 17/87 (19.5%) of patients coinfected with HCV who tested positive for HCV RNA. Phylogenetic analysis of 5'-UTR sequences from these 20 samples showed that the Asian or group 3 variant was found in 45% of the samples sequenced, thus confirming the high frequency of this variant in the region. Group 2a variants accounted for 50% of the samples with a complete absence of group 2b. Our analysis also provided strong bootstrap support for the subdivision of group 2 into subgroups 2a and 2b. This study shows that isolates belonging to all three main groups of GBV-C/ HGV can be detected in Singapore, with the large majority belonging to groups 2a (50%) and 3 (45%). Only a single group 1-like sequence was detected within the 20 isolates. Of interest also is that all group 3 isolates were identified in Chinese patients while group 2a was found in both Chinese and Malay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Ren
mesh_terms: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012367:RNA, Viral