A new isolate of hepatitis B virus from the Philippines possibly representing a new subgenotype C6.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes and subgenotypes show distinct geographical prevalence. A genotyping analysis of 28 samples from asymptomatic HBV carriers from the Philippines gave a distribution of HBV genotypes as expected from a previous study: 54% B (15/28), C5 18% (5/28), 14% D (4/28), 7% A1 (2/28). In addition, 7% (2/28) of the samples showed a double infection with genotypes B and D. One of the isolates sequenced completely, ph105, did not group into one of the known subgenotypes after phylogenetic analysis. Ph105 formed a separate clade in genotype C. With a genome length of 3,215 nt. and a serological subtype adr, ph105 exhibited the main features of most genotype C strains. However, ph105 differed by 4.1-7.2% from HBV subgenotypes C1 to C5 when comparing the nucleotide sequence of whole genomes. With only 4.1% difference ph105 was most closely related to subgenotype C2. SimPlot analysis gave no indication for recombination with known HBV genotypes. Ph105 fulfils all criteria for a new subgenotype C6.
Cavinta
Lolita
L
Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines.
Sun
Jianguang
J
May
Anja
A
Yin
Jianhua
J
von Meltzer
Markus
M
Radtke
Monika
M
Barzaga
Nina G
NG
Cao
Guangwen
G
Schaefer
Stephan
S
D002353:Carrier State / Q000821:virology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000821:virology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010679:Philippines; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012703:Serotyping
D004279:DNA, Viral