[Distribution of hepatitis B virus genotypes in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection among 12 cities in China].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the distribution of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes in patients with chronic HBV infection among 11 cities of China.


METHODS
A total of 1214 serum samples from patients with chronic HBV infection were collected in 11 cities of China, including Beijing, Qingyuan, Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang, Hanchuan, Nanjing, Changchun, Liaocheng, Jinan, Ningbo and Wenzhou. Genotypes of the 1214 HBV strains were identified by PCR method with type specific primers. Parts of the results were confirmed by direct sequencing analysis of PCR products.


RESULTS
Among the 1214 patients with chronic HBV infection, 0.7% (9/1214)were genotype A, 28.4% (345/1214)genotype B, 58.4% (709/1214) genotype C, and 12.4% (151/1214) genotype B and genotype C mixed infection. No other genotypes were found. Genotype C was predominant in the northern part of China, such as Changchun, Beijing, Shijiazhuang,while genotype B was more commonly seen in south of China. 71.4% (20/28) for patients from Qingyuan and 63.6% (70/110) from Shenzhen were infected with genotype B.


CONCLUSIONS
HBV genotypes had distinct geographic distribution. Genotype B and C the predominant strains in patients with chronic HBV infection in China. Genotype C was predominantly identified in the northern part of China versus genotype B the south.
Gao
Jun-wei
JW
Department of Microbiology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100083, China.
Li
Ya-juan
YJ
Zhuang
Hui
H
Li
Jie
J
Wang
Jia
J
Dong
Qing-ming
QM
Chen
Ya-jie
YJ
Niu
Jun-qi
JQ
Ma
Wei-Min
WM
Zhao
Wei
W
Zhao
Bao-an
BA
Zhong
Jin-qun
JQ
D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005838:Genotype; D005843:Geography; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction