title: Characteristics of general distribution of hepatitis B virus genotypes in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Based on differences in the virus nucleotide sequence, hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes are presently divided into genotypes A-H. The geographic distributions of HBV genotypes differ in countries and regions. To determine the general characteristics of their distributions in the mainland of China, we reviewed articles on HBV genotypes published in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Wanfang Database and the CNKI Database were searched for original articles involving HBV in China, and then the data from the articles were classified according to genotype and latitude and analyzed using SPSS 11.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main HBV genotypes were C, B and BC, and their rates were 50.99%, 35.58%, 6.07%, respectively; other genotypes were rare. There was a negative correlation between latitude and the rate of genotype B (r=-0.782, P<0.01), while a positive correlation existed between latitude and the rate of genotype C (r=0.646, P<0.01). No correlation was observed between latitude and the rates of other genotypes (r=0.294, P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In China, HBV genotype C predominates, followed by genotype C and mixed genotype BC; genotypes A, D and others are rare. With an increasing latitude, the distribution of genotype B decreases gradually, while that of genotype C tends to increase. The other genotypes do not show any changes.
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Changzhou Cancer Hospital, Suzhou University, Changzhou 213001, China. zct101@163.com
authors: Chang-Tai
authors: CT
authors: Zhu
authors: Chun-Lei
authors: CL
authors: Dong
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000208:ethnology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D012111:Residence Characteristics