title: Phylogenetic analysis of a circulating hepatitis C virus recombinant strain 1b/1a isolated in a French hospital centre.
abstract: Genetic recombination is now a well-established feature of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) variability and evolution, with the recent identification of circulating recombinant forms. In Amiens University Hospital Centre (France), a discrepancy of genotyping results was observed for 9 samples, between their 5' untranslated region assigned to genotype 1b and their NS5B region assigned to genotype 1a, suggesting the existence of a recombinant strain. In the present study, clinical and phylogenetic analyses of these isolates were conducted and a putative relationship with previously identified HCV 1b/1a recombinants was investigated. The results revealed that all 9 strains displayed a breakpoint within the beginning of the core protein, were closely related between each other and with the H23 strain identified in Uruguay (Moreno et al., 2009). Then, the clinical characteristics of the 9 unlinked individuals infected with this 1b/1a genotype were analysed. This is the first report on the circulation, in a French population, of a HCV recombinant strain 1b/1a. The identification of this genotype in other patients and in other geographical zones would allow to further investigate its prevalence in the population and to better understand its molecular epidemiology.
authors.affiliation: Virology Research Unit, EA4294, Jules Verne University of Picardie, France; Department of Virology, Amiens University Hospital, Amiens, France.
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Morel
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Faten
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ghoubra
authors.affiliation: Virology Research Unit, EA4294, Jules Verne University of Picardie, France; Department of Virology, Amiens University Hospital, Amiens, France.
authors.forename: Laure
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Izquierdo
authors.affiliation: Virology Research Unit, EA4294, Jules Verne University of Picardie, France; Department of Virology, Amiens University Hospital, Amiens, France.
authors.forename: Elodie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Virology Research Unit, EA4294, Jules Verne University of Picardie, France.
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Virology Research Unit, EA4294, Jules Verne University of Picardie, France; Department of Virology, Amiens University Hospital, Amiens, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: François
authors.affiliation: Virology Research Unit, EA4294, Jules Verne University of Picardie, France; Department of Virology, Amiens University Hospital, Amiens, France.
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brochot
authors.affiliation: Virology Research Unit, EA4294, Jules Verne University of Picardie, France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Helle
authors.affiliation: Virology Research Unit, EA4294, Jules Verne University of Picardie, France; Department of Virology, Amiens University Hospital, Amiens, France.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Duverlie
authors.affiliation: Virology Research Unit, EA4294, Jules Verne University of Picardie, France; Department of Virology, Amiens University Hospital, Amiens, France. Electronic address: sandrine.castelain@u-picardie.fr.
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castelain
mesh_terms: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D001483:Base Sequence; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods; D003428:Cross Infection; D030561:Databases, Nucleic Acid; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins
keywords: HCV; Molecular epidemiology; Phylogenetic analysis; Recombinant strain