title: Distribution of HBV genotypes and mutants among hepatitis B infected patients from northern Poland.
abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major global epidemiological problems. The aim of our study was to determine the distribution of HBV genotypes in Poland since the data concerning the spread of HBV viruses in the central-eastern region of Europe is still very limited. HBV DNA was extracted from 58 serum samples. To quantify the level of HBV DNA the Roche Amplicor HBV Monitor Assay was used. To genotype and assign HBV subtypes DNA sequencing methods were performed. The HBV virus from 43 serum samples from hepatitis B infected patients was genotype A (74.1%), 12 cases had genotype D (20.7%), and 3 had the rare in Europe genotype F (5.2%). Prediction of HBV serological subtypes based on HBsAg sequencing showed almost 100% occurrence of subtype adw2 in the group of genotype A samples, three different subtypes in genotype D (ayw2, ayw3, and ayw4), and equal distribution of subtype adw4q- in all 3 cases of genotype F, also the most prevalent subtype in the Amerindians. Our results coincide with the general European HBV prevalence. However, HBV genotype F, which is not a common genotype in European countries, was detected and so was relatively high occurrence of genotype D, which may reflect historical and ethnical migration events in Poland in the past.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland. bielawsk@biotech.univ.gda.pl
authors.forename: Krzysztof Piotr
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Bielawski
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dybikowska
authors.forename: Urszula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lisowska-Charmuszko
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stalke
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gregorowicz
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Trocha
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Podhajska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D011044:Poland; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004247:DNA