Epidemic dynamics of two coexisting hepatitis C virus subtypes.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects about 3% of the human population. Phylogenetic analyses have grouped its variants into six major genotypes, which have a star-like distribution and several minor subtypes. The most abundant genotype in Europe is the so-called genotype 1, with two prevalent subtypes, 1a and 1b. In order to explain the higher prevalence of subtype 1b over 1a, a large-scale sequence analysis (100 virus clones) has been carried out over 25 patients of both subtypes in two regions of the HCV genome: one comprising hypervariable region 1 and another including the interferon sensitivity-determining region. Neither polymorphism analysis nor molecular variance analysis (attending to intra- and intersubtype differences, age, sex and previous history of antiviral treatment) was able to show any particular difference between subtypes that might account for their different prevalence. Only the demographic history of the populations carrying both subtypes and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) for risk practice suggested that the route of transmission may be the most important factor to explain the observed difference.
Jiménez-Hernández
Nuria
N
Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva and Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Valencia, Spain.
Torres-Puente
Manuela
M
Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva and Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Valencia, Spain.
Bracho
Maria Alma
MA
Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva and Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Valencia, Spain.
García-Robles
Inmaculada
I
Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva and Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Valencia, Spain.
Ortega
Enrique
E
Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital General de Valencia, Spain.
Del Olmo
Juan
J
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Clínico de Valencia, Spain.
Carnicer
Fernando
F
Unidad de Hepatología, Hospital General de Alicante, Spain.
González-Candelas
Fernando
F
Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva and Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Valencia, Spain.
Moya
Andrés
A
Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva and Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Valencia, Spain.
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data