title: High Prevalence of HBV in Tibet, China.
abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV), distributed throughout the world, is classified into seven geographically separated genotypes designated A to G. Since the prevalence of HBV infection in isolated ethnic Tibetan populations in China, and the HBV genotypes involved have been hither to remained unclear, we collected 262 blood samples from four isolated villages in the east and west regions of Tibet. The prevalence of HBV infection was estimated by EIA for HBV Ag and HBV Ab. The HBV genotypes were determined by a PCR-microwell plate hybridization method using plasma DNA. The prevalence of HBV Ag and HBV Ab positives was 19.1% (50/262 cases) and 29.0% (76/262 cases), respectively. We detected only the C genotype (20/20 cases), this being known as a predominant type of HBV among Mongoloid populations in Asia. The results revealed, for the first time, that Tibetan villagers have a high rate of infection with HBV of C genotype, in line with the available data for chronic hepatitis and liver cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya 464-8681, Japan. ktajima@aichi-cc.pref.aichi.jp
authors.forename: Shu Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hong Chuan
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.forename: Xiao Xin
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Xiao Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Dang Hui
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takezaki
authors.forename: Haruko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeshita
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yashiki
authors.forename: Toshinobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujiyoshi
authors.forename: Shunro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sonoda
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tajima