title: High genetic diversity of hepatitis delta virus in eastern Turkey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a serious cause of liver-related mortality in patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Determination of genotypes of HDV and phylogenetic analysis are important for better understanding the pathogenesis of the liver diseases associated with HBV infection. The aim of this study was to determine the genotype or genotypes of HDV among chronically infected patients with HBV in eastern Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 113 patients infected with HBV and HDV were included in this study. The samples taken from the patients were analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and restriction enzyme cleavage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the results of the restriction enzyme analysis, all of the RT-PCR products were determined to be HDV genotype I. Furthermore, for phylogenetic analysis and genotyping, 40 of HDV RT-PCR positive products were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences showed that all of the samples were infected with HDV genotype I. In addition, the results of the alignment analysis showed that the sequences of clinical samples were 82%-95% similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that high genetic diversity of the virus is possible in endemic areas such as Turkey.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey. ybulut@firat.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bulut
authors.forename: Ibrahim Halil
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Bahcecioglu
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aygun
authors.forename: Pinar Demirel
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Oner
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ozercan
authors.forename: Kutbeddin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Demirdag
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D019701:Hepatitis D, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral