Molecular diversity in irregular or refugee immigrant patients with HBV-genotype-E infection living in the metropolitan area of Naples.
In a recent testing in the metropolitan area of Naples, Italy, on 945 irregular immigrants or refugees, 87 HBsAg chronic carriers were identified, 53 of whom were infected by HBV-genotype E. The aim of the present study was to identify the genetic diversity of HBV-genotype E in these 53 immigrants. The 53 immigrant patients with HBV-genotype-E infection were born in Africa, central or eastern Asia, eastern Europe or Latin America. These patients had been seen for a clinical consultation at one of the four first-level units from January 2012 to 2013. The first dataset contained 53 HBV-S gene isolates plus 128 genotype/subgenotype specific reference sequences downloaded from the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The second dataset, comprising the 53 HBV-S gene isolates, previously classified as HBV-genotype E, was used to perform the time-scaled phylogeny reconstruction using a Bayesian approach. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all 53 HBV-S isolates belonged to HBV-genotype E. Bayes factor analysis showed that the relaxed clock exponential growth model fitted the data significantly better than the other models. The time-scaled Bayesian phylogenetic tree of the second dataset showed that the root of the tree dated back to the year 1990 (95% HPD:1984-2000). Four statistically supported clusters were identified. Cluster A dated back to 2012 (95% HPD:1997-2012); cluster B dated back to 2008 (95% HPD:2001-2015); cluster C to 2006 (95% HPD:1999-2013); cluster D to 2004 (95% HPD:1998-2011). This study disclosed the genetic evolution and phylogenesis in a group of HBV-genotype-E-infected immigrants. J. Med. Virol. 89:1015-1024, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.|Medical Center, Centro Sociale ex Canapificio, Caserta, Italy.
Caterina
C
Sagnelli
Epidemiology Unit, Department of Infectious, Parasite and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Italian Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.|University of Biomedical Campus, Rome, Italy.
Massimo
M
Ciccozzi
Medical Center, Centro Sociale ex Canapificio, Caserta, Italy.|Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Nicola
N
Coppola
Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Carmine
C
Minichini
Epidemiology Unit, Department of Infectious, Parasite and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Italian Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.
Alessandra
A
Lo Presti
Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Mario
M
Starace
Medical Center, Centro Sociale ex Canapificio, Caserta, Italy.|Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Loredana
L
Alessio
Medical Center, Centro Sociale ex Canapificio, Caserta, Italy.|Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Margherita
M
Macera
Epidemiology Unit, Department of Infectious, Parasite and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Italian Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.|Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Eleonora
E
Cella
Medical Center, Centro per la Tutela della Salute degli Immigrati, Naples, Italy.
Luciano
L
Gualdieri
Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.|Medical center, Centro Suore Missionarie della Carità, Naples, Italy.
Nunzio
N
Caprio
Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Giuseppe
G
Pasquale
Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Evangelista
E
Sagnelli
D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D012036:Refugees
HBV genotype; chronic HBV infection; genetic variability; hepatitis B virus; irregular immigrants; phenotypic variation; refugees