[Genotyping 238 HBV strains using type-specific primer PCR combined with type-specific nucleotide analysis].
OBJECTIVE
To establish a set of suitable and reliable methods for HBV genotyping and to study the distribution of HBV genotypes.


METHODS
Type-specific nucleotides were searched through alignment of S genes (more than 1000 sequences) listed in GenBank. Then, type-specific primers were designed and type-specific primer PCR was used to genotype the 238 HBV strains. S genes of the untyped strains were further amplified and sequenced to find out their genotypes with type-specific nucleotide analysis.


RESULTS
All the 238 HBV strains were genotyped. 159 (66.8%) cases were genotype B, 69 (28.9%) were genotype C, 6 (2.5%) were mixtures of genotypes B and C and 4 (1.6%) were mixtures of genotypes B and D. No genotypes of A, E, F, G, and H were found.


CONCLUSIONS
Genotypes B and C are the most common types for HBV strains. Mixtures of genotypes B and C or genotypes B and D coinfection rarely existed. There is no relationship between the gender of the patients and HBV genotypes (X2 = 0.794, P more than 0.05).
Zeng
Ai-Zhong
AZ
Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing 400010, China.
Huang
Ai-Long
AL
Guo
Jin-Jun
JJ
Deng
Xiao-Yan
XY
Li
Qing-Ling
QL
Huang
Wen-Xiang
WX
D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D009711:Nucleotides