Distribution of hepatitis B virus genotypes and viral load levels in Brazilian chronically infected patients in São Paulo city.
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the serum viral load in chronically infected Hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients and to investigate the distribution of HBV genotypes in São Paulo city. Quantitative HBV-DNA assays and HBV genotyping have gained importance for predicting HBV disease progression, have been employed for assessing infectivity, for treatment monitoring and for detecting the emergence of drug resistance. Twenty-nine Brazilian patients with suspected chronic hepatitis B were studied, using real time PCR for viral load determination and direct DNA sequencing for the genotyping. The serology revealed chronic HBV infection in 22 samples. The HBV-DNA was positive in 68% samples (15/22). The phylogenetic analysis disclosed that eleven patients were infected with HBV genotype A, two with genotype F and two with genotype D. Thus, the genotype A was the most prevalent in our study.
Alcalde
Rosana
R
Departamento de Dermatologia, Laboratório de Dermatologia e Imunodeficiências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Melo
Fernando Lucas
FL
Nishiya
Anna
A
Ferreira
Suzete Cleusa
SC
Langhi Júnior
Mario Dante
MD
Fernandes
Simone Sena
SS
Marcondes
Luis Augusto
LA
Duarte
Alberto José Silva
AJ
Casseb
Jorge
J
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D019562:Viral Load
D004279:DNA, Viral