title: Japanese case of hepatitis B virus genotypes C/D hybrid.
abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is classified into eight genotypes based on complete genome sequence. Each genotype is related to geographic distribution and race. In Japan, most of the genotypes are B and C. In the present study, we report the first Japanese strain of HBV having a recombination between genotypes C and D. A 30-year-old woman was admitted to Kobe Medical Center because of liver dysfunction. She was diagnosed with spontaneous reactivation of chronic hepatitis B. She had no history of blood transfusion and her parents were negative for HBV. The phylogenetic analysis based on the complete genome sequences revealed that this strain was classified into genotype C, whereas the analysis based on Sgene sequence showed that this strain was genotype D. By using a SimPlot program, this strain was confirmed as a recombinant strain between genotypes C and D. Compared with previous recombinant strains in China, the breakpoint was the same and the difference was only 0.8% of the complete genome sequence. It was unclear whether or not this strain was transmitted from China, but the recombinant strains and intergenotypes of HBV have already existed in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Molecular Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, International Center of Medical Research and Treatment (ICMRT), Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Bui X
authors.initials: BX
authors.lastname: Truong
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.forename: Yasuhito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizokami
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kagawa
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasuga
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.forename: Yoshitake
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi