title: Molecular epidemiology of Hepatitis B virus genotypes in Pakistan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Eight genotypes of Hepatitis B virus designated A-H, have been known but in Pakistan, no such data is available on the prevalent HBV genotypes. Therefore, the subject study was conducted to determine HBV genotypes in the indigenous Pakistani population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 690 individuals were enrolled for HBV screening with EIA and nested PCR. Positive samples were further analyzed to determine HBV genotypes (A-F) by multiplex-PCR using type specific primers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  110 (15.94%) individuals were positive for HBV, including 64% males and 36% females. Out of these, 66 samples (65.34%) were classified into genotype D, 27 (26.73%) were of genotype B while 5(4.95%) had genotype A. In 3 (2.98%) samples, multiple genotypes were detected (genotype A+B; 2(1.99%) and genotypes B+D; 1(0.99%). Nine (8.18%) samples remained untyable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Asia, genotypes B and C are the most prevalent but our study reveals that genotype D is predominant and HBV infection constitutes a significant health problem in Pakistan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Institute of Health, Islamabad, Pakistan. ursmasroor@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Muhammad Masroor
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: Sohail Zahoor
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Zaidi
authors.forename: Salman Akbar
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: Shahzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shaukat
authors.forename: Asif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naeem
authors.forename: Salmaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharif
authors.forename: Mehar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angez
authors.forename: Javed Aslam
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Butt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005814:Genes, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology