[Classification of genotyping hepatitis B virus with multiplex PCR].
OBJECTIVE
To establish a simple and practicable method to identify the different genotypes of hepatitis B virus (HBV).


METHODS
Based on the alignment of 114 complete nucleotide sequence for HBV DNA of different genotypes, the specific sequence of each genotype was found. Six primer sets were designed for each of the six genotypes according to the genotype-specific sequence, and used separately for PCR. The genotype of HBV was identified according to the positive result of PCR. Three primer sets for B, C and D genotypes were added into a single tube for PCR reaction, and HBV was genotyped according to the length of the amplified DNA.


RESULTS
There was no difference in the genotyping result of PCR by single or multiplex primers, which was identical to the PCR-RFLP method.


CONCLUSIONS
This multiplex PCR method is simple, precise, sensitive, and easy to use.
Yang
Jie
J
Nanfang Hospital, the First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Luo
Kangxian
K
Guo
Yabing
Y
Dai
Lin
L
Yan
Li
L
Hou
Jinlin
J
D017931:DNA Primers; D030561:Databases, Nucleic Acid; D005838:Genotype; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000379:methods
D017931:DNA Primers