title: Variant isolates of human metapneumovirus subgroup B genotype 1 in Campinas, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a paramyxovirus associated with respiratory illness. The genotypes of HMPV isolates in Brazil have not been well characterized.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the presence of HMPV in clinical samples collected from pediatric patients of two university hospitals in the region of Campinas (São Paulo, Brazil) and to genotype them by partial sequencing of the HMPV F gene.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected from children hospitalized between April and September, 2004 because of acute respiratory infections (ARI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified HMPV in 8 of 142 (5.6%) clinical samples. We determined through phylogenetic analysis that HMPV isolates in Campinas during the study were clustered within subgroup B genotype 1. Two of the isolates analyzed showed significant differences from previously isolated B1 viruses, when compared to HMPV isolated in South Africa and Canada, and clustered in a separate branch within this genotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In 2004 in our geographic region all HMPV isolates from pediatric patients were in the B1 HMPV genetic group, with two variant isolates.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Programa Pós Graduação - Clínica Médica - UNICAMP, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana Helena Antoniassi
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Fernando Rosado
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Spilki
authors.forename: Adriana Gut Lopes
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Riccetto
authors.forename: Renata Servan
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Emílio Carlos Elias
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Baracat
authors.forename: Clarice Weis
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Arns
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001938:Brazil; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D029121:Metapneumovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000821:virology; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral