title: Phylogenetic analysis of isolates from new cases of HBV infection in Southern Italy.
abstract: The level of endemicity of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections in Italy is low and genotype D infections predominant. New HBV strains may however be introduced as a result of movements of people from regions of high endemicity. The aim of the present study was to determine whether strains from new cases of acute hepatitis B detected in southern Italy were due to endemic or new HBV strains. We studied 34 isolates from patients with acute hepatitis B infection, and 35 from chronic hepatitis B patients. A phylogenetic analysis of preS/S region was done by comparing the sequences from the acute and chronic cases with references sequences. The study showed that 44% of strain from acute hepatitis B patients were of genotype A, 53% of genotype D, and 3% of genotype E. The molecular analysis of isolates from acute hepatitis B patients from Sicily showed a change in the local epidemiology of this infection, with an increase in HBV/A infections and a clustering effect for HBV D2, possibly correlated to immigration. The introduction of new genotypes , could have an effect on HBV-correlated diseases due to the different association between genotype, liver disease and response to antiviral therapy.
authors: Sezione di Microbiologia, Dipartimento di Scienze per la Promozione della Salute G. D'Alessandro, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy. donatella.ferraro@unipa.it
authors: Donatella
authors: D
authors: Ferraro
authors: Noemi
authors: N
authors: Urone
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Pizzillo
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Gussio
authors: Salvatore
authors: S
authors: Magliocco
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Cacopardo
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Craxì
authors: Vito
authors: V
authors: Di Marco
authors: Rosa
authors: R
authors: Di Stefano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral