title: Variability of the PreS1/PreS2/S regions of hepatitis B virus in Hungary.
abstract: Infection with the hepatitis B virus can occur perinatally, parenterally, or sexually, and it can cause acute or chronic liver diseases. Phylogenetic analysis of the virus has led to its classification into eight genotypes (A-H), which show a characteristic worldwide distribution. The aim of this study was to reveal the HBV genotypes present in Hungary and to investigate a nosocomial and an intrafamilial outbreak. The collected samples were tested by nested PCR, and a 650-nucleotide-long segment of the preS1/preS2/S region was sequenced. As no previous genotype data were available from Hungary, sera of 24 HBsAg-positive patients were collected from different regions of the country. They also served as control samples for the molecular epidemiologic study. Nineteen of them carried genotype D of hepatitis B virus, and five of them carried genotype A. Twenty-nine patients from a haemato-oncology unit were affected in a nosocomial outbreak. The patients had haematological and/or oncological diseases, most of them were immunosuppressed. In twenty-eight cases, based on phylogenetic analysis of the viruses, there was presumably a common source of infection, and an epidemiological investigation showed that the infections seemed to be hospital-acquired. In the intrafamilial outbreak, two asymptomatic carrier children infected their foster mother. The three sequences were totally identical.
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, National Center for Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Szomor
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dencs
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tóth
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Kovács
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saleh Ali
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berencsi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takács
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005192:Family Health; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D011498:Protein Precursors; C050806:presurface protein 1, hepatitis B surface antigen; C050807:presurface protein 2, hepatitis B surface antigen