title: Hepatitis B virus genotypes and subgenotypes in China.
abstract: Eight Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes (A to H) have been identified based on an intergenotype divergence of 8% or more in the entire nucleotide sequence. Subgenotypes have also been identified in different HBV genotypes. As a highly endemic area for HBV infection, the prevalence of chronic HBV infection in China is between 8 and 20% of the general population. Genotypes B and C were identified as the most common HBV strains and account for approximately 95% of Chinese patients. Further study confirmed all genotype B strains belong to subgenotype Ba. Two of genotype C subgenotypes, C1 (Cs) and C2 (Ce), were found in China and they showed different geographic distributions. Genotype A was very rarely found, while genotypes E, F, G and H have not beenreported until now. Two types of HBV C/Drecombinant viruses have been identified in west China and distinct geographic and ethnic distributions were observed. Significant differences were observed (P < 0.001) in the prevalence of A1896 and T1762/A1764 mutations among HBV Ba, C1 and C2 subgenotypes in Chinese patients. Accumulating evidence showed the response rate to antiviral therapy in Chinese patients is higher in genotype B than genotype C patients on interferon treatment, but no difference was observed on nucleoside/nucleotide analog treatment.
authors.affiliation: Hepatology Unit and Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhanhui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yuehua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shujuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jinlin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hou