title: Genotyping and virological characteristics of hepatitis B virus in HIV-infected individuals in Sudan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) share common routes of blood-borne transmission. In HBV mono-infected Sudanese individuals, genotypes D, E, and A circulate. The objective of this study was to molecularly characterize HBV from HBV/HIV co-infected individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The polymerase overlapping the S region and the basic core promoter (BCP/PC) of HBV from 32 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive and 18 HBsAg-negative serum samples were amplified and sequenced.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HBV from 37 samples was successfully genotyped and the genotype distribution was 46.0% D, 21.6% E, 18.9% A, and 13.5% D/E recombinant. Compared to mono-infected individuals, the frequencies of the D/E recombinant and genotype A were higher in HBV/HIV co-infected patients, as was the intra-group divergence of genotype E. BCP/PC mutations affecting hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) expression at the transcriptional and translational levels were detected. Two HBsAg-positive individuals had pre-S deletion mutants. The following mutations in the S region could account for the HBsAg negativity: sM133T, sE164G, sV168G, and sS174N. No primary drug resistance mutations were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In HBV/HIV co-infected Sudanese patients, the ratio of genotype A to non-A was higher than that in mono-infected patients. The genotype E intra-group divergence in HBV/HIV co-infected individuals was significantly higher than that in HBV mono-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Hepatitis Virus Diversity Research Programme, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.
authors.forename: Mukhlid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yousif
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Hatim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mudawi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Waleed
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hussein
authors.affiliation: Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Maowia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mukhtar
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Bahri University, Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nemeri
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Virology, National Reference Centre of Hepatitis B and D, Justus Liebig-University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Glebe
authors.affiliation: Hepatitis Virus Diversity Research Programme, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa. Electronic address: Anna.Kramvis@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kramvis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D060085:Coinfection / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D013397:Sudan; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens
keywords: Deletion mutants; Genetic diversity; Occult HBV infection; Subgenotypes