[Relative stasis of hepatitis C virus quasispecies in natural duration].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the evolution of HCV quasispecies in persistent and self-limited infection patients.


METHODS
Peripheral blood HCV preserved for 10 years from 8 naive patients were analyzed. HCV core and E2 genes were cloned and sequenced. Genetic distances of different isolates at different time were analyzed by phylip software.


RESULTS
The genetic distances of HCV quasispecies were higher in persistent infection patients than that of self-limited patients. In each patient the genetic distance of HCV E2 region isolates were higher than that of HCV C region which has some relationship between each other. In the 4 persistent patients there exist no differences between within-group and between-group genetic distance in HCV C region and also exist no differences in HCV E2 region in 2 of the 4 persistent patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The diversity degree of HCV quasispecies may affect the outcome of hepatitis C. Research on HCV C and E2 region to study HCV quasispecies may obtain different results. The distribution of HCV quasispecies may be stable in hepatitis C natural history.
Wang
Qi-xin
QX
Hepatology Institute, People's Hospital, Peking University, Beijing 100044, China.
Wei
Lai
L
Gao
Yan
Y
Chen
Zhi-jun
ZJ
Sun
De-gui
DG
Jiang
Dong
D
Xu
Xiao-yuan
XY
Chen
Hong-song
HS
Wang
Yu
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged