title: Genotype and phylogenetic characterization of hepatitis B virus among multi-ethnic cohort in Hawaii.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genomes in carriers from Hawaii have not been evaluated previously. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the distribution of HBV genotypes and their clinical relevance in Hawaii.
  
  
  METHODS
  Genotyping of HBV among 61 multi-ethnic carriers in Hawaii was performed by genetic methods. Three complete genomes and 61 core promoter/precore regions of HBV were sequenced directly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HBV genotype distribution among the 61 carriers was 23.0% for genotype A, 14.7% for genotype B and 62.3% for genotype C. Genotypes A, B and C were obtained from the carriers whose ethnicities were Filipino and Caucasian, Southeast Asian, and various Asian and Micronesian, respectively. All cases of genotype B were composed of recombinant strains with genotype C in the precore plus core region named genotype Ba. HBeAg was detected more frequently in genotype C than in genotype B (68.4% vs 33.3%, P<0.05) and basal core promoter (BCP) mutation (T1762/A1764) was more frequently found in genotype C than in genotype B. Twelve of the 38 genotype C strains possessed C at nucleotide (nt) position 1858 (C-1858). However there was no significant difference in clinical characteristics between C-1858 and T-1858 variants. Based on complete genome sequences, phylogenetic analysis revealed one patient of Micronesian ethnicity as having C-1858 clustered with two isolates from Polynesia with T-1858. In addition, two strains from Asian ethnicities were clustered with known isolates in carriers from Southeast Asia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Genotypes A, B and C are predominant types among multi-ethnic HBV carriers in Hawaii, and distribution of HBV genotypes is dependent on the ethnic background of the carriers in Hawaii.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Molecular Informative Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kawasumi, Mizuho, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Fuminaka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sugauchi
authors.forename: Naoky
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Etsuro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orito
authors.forename: Ryuzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizokami
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006254:Hawaii / Q000208:ethnology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000821:virology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny