Hepatitis B virus genotypes in children and adolescents in Japan: before and after immunization for the prevention of mother to infant transmission of hepatitis B virus.
The genotype distribution of hepatitis B virus (HBV) was investigated in 118 children in Japan. One hundred and sixteen children (98%) had chronic HBV infection, and the remainder had acute hepatitis. Genotyping of HBV was determined by PCR and sequencing analysis in the S gene. Genotype C (86%) was the most frequent, followed by genotype B (9%), D (2.5%), and A (1.0%). Transmission routes of HBV to children were from mothers in 91 patients (77%), fathers in 8 (6.5%), mother or father in 1 (1%), family members other than the parents in 5 (4%), and unknown in 13 (11.5%). The relationship between routes of HBV transmission and HBV genotypes was studied. Eighty-eight (97%) of 91 children of mother-to-infant transmission were genotype C, while 13 (49%) of 27 children of the routes other than the mother to infant transmission were genotype C. The number of children with genotype C who were infected from their mothers was significantly higher than those with genotype B, D, or A (P < 0.01). In conclusion, HBV genotypes influence not only clinical characteristics but also the mechanisms of inter-personal HBV transmission.
Inui
Ayano
A
Department of Pediatrics, Yokohama Sakae Kyosai Hospital, Katsura-cho 132, Sakae-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. inui19@yahoo.co.jp
Komatsu
Haruki
H
Sogo
Tsuyoshi
T
Nagai
Toshiro
T
Abe
Kenji
K
Fujisawa
Tomoo
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D004279:DNA, Viral; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; C118669:S envelope protein, hepatitis B virus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins