[Phylogenetic analysis of sporadic hepatitis E virus in Eastern China].
OBJECTIVE
To understand phylogenetic characteristics of sporadic hepatitis E virus (HEV) in eastern China.


METHODS
Four hundred and thirteen sera were collected from sporadic hepatitis E cases in 14 second- or first-class hospitals in Eastern China from 2005 to 2008 and detected with a nested RT-PCR assay. Partial nucleotide sequences of the HEV isolates were determined for phylogenetic analysis with prototype sequences in the GenBank.


RESULTS
The male-to-female sex ratio of the patients was 1.75:1 with 61.5% of them aged 40 - 69 years old. HEV RNA was detected in 140 out of 413(34%)serum samples. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all the 140 HEV isolates belonged to genotype IV, sharing 77.9% - 88.3%, 80.8% - 90.6%, 73.4% - 85.2% and 91.0% - 95.4% nucleotide sequence identities with prototype I, II, III and IV HEV isolates respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
It was evident that genotype IV HEV served as the main causative agent of sporadic HEV infection in Eastern China. However the viral origin and evolution needs further clarification.
Xia
Yu-gang
YG
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, the Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, China.
Li
Yan-ting
YT
Lu
Yi-han
YH
Ren
Hong
H
Hu
An-qun
AQ
Zhu
Jian-fu
JF
Wang
Xue-cai
XC
Jing
Qing-wu
QW
Zheng
Ying-jie
YJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics
D012367:RNA, Viral