title: African, Amerindian and European hepatitis B virus strains circulate on the Caribbean Island of Martinique.
abstract: Ten Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes, as well as numerous subgenotypes, have been described in well-characterized ethnogeographical populations. Martinique has been at a crossroads between Africa, Europe, India and the Americas because of the slave trade (17th-19th centuries), followed by an important immigration of Indian and West African workers. In this work, we aimed to study the molecular epidemiology of HBV infection in Martinique according to this unique settlement pattern. To that end, blood samples from 86 consecutive HBV-infected patients from the main hospitals of the island, were retrospectively analysed. Direct sequencing of the pre-S1 or pre-C-C region or complete genome sequencing, followed by phylogenetic analyses were performed. HBV genotypes were: HBV/A1 (68.6 %), HBV/A2 (10.5 %), HBV/D, mainly HBV/D3 and HBV/D4 (8.1 %), HBV/F (3.5 %), and also HBV/E (2.3 %), two strains isolated from two West-African patients. Moreover, 74 % of the HBeAg-negative strains harboured classical pre-C-C mutations, and most HBV/A1 strains also containing specific mutations. Finally, various patterns of deletion mutants in pre-S and pre-C-C regions were found. In conclusion, our findings point to historical and migration-related issues in HBV-genotype distribution suggesting that HBV/A1, but not HBV/E, was imported from Africa during the slave trade, and further supporting the hypothesis that HBV/E has emerged recently in West Africa (<150 years). Potential origins of 'European' HBV/A2 and HBV/D3, 'Amerindian' HBV/F, and HBV/D4 strains are also discussed. Such HBV genetic diversity, beyond its epidemiological interest, may have a clinical impact on the natural history of HBV infection in Martinique.
authors.affiliation: Service de Bactériologie, Virologie-Hygiène, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris; Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris Seine Saint-Denis, Site Avicenne, Bobigny; Laboratoire Associé au Centre National de Référence des Hépatites B, C et Delta, Université Paris Nord, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France.
authors.forename: Ségolène
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brichler
authors.affiliation: Service de Bactériologie, Virologie du Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire de Rennes, Pontchaillou, France.
authors.forename: Gisèle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lagathu
authors.affiliation: Service de Bactériologie, Virologie-Hygiène, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris; Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris Seine Saint-Denis, Site Avicenne, Bobigny; Laboratoire Associé au Centre National de Référence des Hépatites B, C et Delta, Université Paris Nord, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France.
authors.forename: Mariama Abdou
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Chekaraou
authors.affiliation: Service de Bactériologie, Virologie-Hygiène, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris; Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris Seine Saint-Denis, Site Avicenne, Bobigny; Laboratoire Associé au Centre National de Référence des Hépatites B, C et Delta, Université Paris Nord, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Le Gal
authors.affiliation: Service d'Hépato-Gastro-Entérologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Fort-de-France, Martinique, France.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Edouard
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Équipe 16, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR 5286, Lyon, France.|Service de Bactériologie, Virologie-Hygiène, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris; Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris Seine Saint-Denis, Site Avicenne, Bobigny; Laboratoire Associé au Centre National de Référence des Hépatites B, C et Delta, Université Paris Nord, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dény
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Fort-de-France, Martinique; EA 4537, Université Antilles-Guyane, France.
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Césaire
authors.affiliation: Service de Bactériologie, Virologie-Hygiène, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris; Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris Seine Saint-Denis, Site Avicenne, Bobigny; Laboratoire Associé au Centre National de Référence des Hépatites B, C et Delta, Université Paris Nord, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gordien
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044467:American Indian or Alaska Native; D000569:Americas / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000821:virology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008395:Martinique / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010802:Phylogeny; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult