title: Phylogenetic analysis of complete genome sequences of hepatitis B virus from an Afro-Colombian community: presence of HBV F3/A1 recombinant strain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the most prevalent viral infections in humans and represents a serious public health problem. In Colombia, our group reported recently the presence of subgenotypes F3, A2 and genotype G in Bogotá. The aim of this study was to characterize the HBV genotypes circulating in Quibdó, the largest Afro-descendant community in Colombia. Sixty HBsAg-positive samples were studied. A fragment of 1306 bp (S/POL) was amplified by nested PCR. Positive samples to S/POL fragment were submitted to PCR amplification of the HBV complete genome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The distribution of HBV genotypes was: A1 (52.17%), E (39.13%), D3 (4.3%) and F3/A1 (4.3%). An HBV recombinant strain subgenotype F3/A1 was found for the first time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first analysis of complete HBV genome sequences from Afro-Colombian population. It was found an important presence of HBV/A1 and HBV/E genotypes. A new recombinant strain of HBV genotype F3/A1 was reported in this population. This fact may be correlated with the introduction of these genotypes in the times of slavery.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, São Paulo Institute of Tropical Medicine and Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. monica.viviana@usp.br
authors.forename: Mónica V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Alvarado-Mora
authors.forename: Camila M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Michele S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gomes-Gouvêa
authors.forename: Maria F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: Flair J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Carrilho
authors.forename: João R R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Pinho
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D001483:Base Sequence; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016679:Genome, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000208:ethnology / Q000821:virology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens