Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis B, C, D and E viruses among children in Moscow, Russia.
BACKGROUND
It is known that the prevalence of HBV and HCV infections vary according to geographical areas. However, in Russia, an adequate level of information on the molecular epidemiology of hepatitis viruses has not been available so far.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the characterization of various hepatitis viruses in Russia, we conducted molecular-based epidemiological survey of hepatitis viruses including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis D virus (HDV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) among children in Moscow, Russia.


METHODS
The study population of 374 subjects (ranging in age from 1 to 14 years old) consisted of 195 patients with liver diseases and 179 patients without liver diseases. Viral DNA/RNA was determined by nested PCR. Genotyping of HBV and HCV were examined by PCR using type-specific primers. Anti-HEV antibody was assayed by ELISA.


RESULTS
The infection rate of each virus among patients with liver diseases including acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis was 65.6% for HBV and 15.9% for HCV. In contrast, among non-liver disease patients, the infection rates were 14.4% for HBV and 0.6% for HCV, respectively. The most common viral genotypes were type D (85%) of HBV and type 1b (79.3%) of HCV. HDV RNA was detected in 7 of 149 (4.7%) HBV DNA-positive children tested. Moreover, testing for HEV among 341 subjects resulted in the detection of anti-HEV IgG in 62 cases (18.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that HBV infection is widespread in Moscow and have led to a high incidence of acute and chronic liver diseases among children in this region.
Abe
Kenji
K
Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Toyama 1-23-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan. kenjiabe@nih.go.jp
Hayakawa
Eriko
E
Sminov
Andrei V
AV
Rossina
Anna L
AL
Ding
Xin
X
Huy
Tran T-T
TT
Sata
Tetsutaro
T
Uchaikin
Vasily F
VF
D000293:Adolescent; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002353:Carrier State / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000821:virology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009031:Moscow / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014766:Viremia / Q000821:virology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral