title: Analysis of the Molecular Evolution of Hepatitis B Virus Genotypes in Symptomatic Acute Infections in Argentina.
abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a globally distributed human pathogen that leads to both self-limited and chronic infections. At least eight genotypes (A-H) with distinct geographical allocations and phylodynamic behaviors have been described. They differ substantially in many virological and probably some clinical parameters. The aim of this study was to analyze full-length HBV genome sequences from individuals with symptomatic acute HBV infections using phylogenetic and coalescent methods. The phylogenetic analysis resulted in the following subgenotype distribution: F1b (52.7%), A2 (18.2%), F4 (18.2%) and A1, B2, D3 and F2a 1.8% each. These results contrast with those previously reported from chronic infections, where subgenotypes F1b, F4, A2 and genotype D were evenly distributed. This differential distribution might be related to recent internal migrations and/or intrinsic biological features of each viral genotype that could impact on the probability of transmission. The coalescence analysis showed that after a diversification process started in the 80s, the current sequences of subgenotype F1b were grouped in at least four highly supported lineages, whereas subgenotype F4 revealed a more limited diversification pattern with most lineages without offspring in the present. In addition, the genetic characterization of the studied sequences showed that only two of them presented mutations of clinical relevance at S codifyng region and none at the polymerase catalytic domains. Finally, since the acute infections could be an expression of the genotypes currently being transmitted to new hosts, the predominance of subgenotype F1b might have epidemiological, as well as, clinical relevance due to its potential adverse disease outcome among the chronic cases.
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Belén
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Rodrigo
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Laura Noelia
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Mojsiejczuk
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sevic
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Mora
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: González López Ledesma
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Paula Soledad
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Virología, Hospital de Enfermedades Infecciosas ''F. Muñiz", Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Belén
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Bouzas
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Hepatología, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Galdame
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Hepatología, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Sebastián
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marciano
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Hepatopatías Infecciosas, Hospital de Enfermedades Infecciosas ''F. Muñiz", Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fainboim
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Diego Martín
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Flichman
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Rodolfo Héctor
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Campos
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens