title: Hepatitis C virus genotype 3A in a population of injecting drug users in Montenegro: Bayesian and evolutionary analysis.
abstract: Few reports are available on HCV molecular epidemiology among IDUs in Eastern Europe, and none in Montenegro. The aim of this study was to investigate the HCV genotype distribution in Montenegro among IDUs and to perform Bayesian and evolutionary analysis of the most prevalent HCV genotype circulating in this population. Sixty-four HCV-positive IDUs in Montenegro were enrolled between 2013 and 2014, and the NS5B gene was sequenced. The Bayesian analysis showed that the most prevalent subtype was HCV-3a. Phylogenetic data showed that HCV-3a reached Montenegro in the late 1990s, causing an epidemic that exponentially grew between the 1995 and 2005. In the dated tree, four different entries, from 1990 (clade D), 1994 (clade A) to 1999 (clade B) and 2001 (clade C), were identified. In the NS5B protein model, the amino acids variations were located mainly in the palm domain, which contains most of the conserved structural elements of the active site. This study provides an analysis of the virus transmission pathway and the evolution of HCV genotype 3a among IDUs in Montenegro. These data could represent the basis for further strategies aimed to improve disease management and surveillance program development in high-risk populations.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Podgorica, Montenegro.
authors.forename: Boban
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mugosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Disease, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.|Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cella
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "L. Sacco", Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Chair, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Disease, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lo Presti
authors.affiliation: Unit of Clinical Pathology and Microbiology, University Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo 200, 00128, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Aletheia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blasi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Podgorica, Montenegro.
authors.forename: Zoran
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Vratnica
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Podgorica, Montenegro.
authors.forename: Danijela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vujoševic
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "L. Sacco", Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Chair, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ebranati
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Podgorica, Montenegro.
authors.forename: Dragan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lauševic
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Diseases, Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guarino
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "L. Sacco", Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Chair, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianguglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zehender
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Science "A. Rossi Fanelli", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Milano
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Science "A. Rossi Fanelli", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pascarella
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spoto
authors.affiliation: Unit of Clinical Pathology and Microbiology, University Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo 200, 00128, Rome, Italy. s.angeletti@unicampus.it.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Angeletti
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Disease, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.|Unit of Clinical Pathology and Microbiology, University Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo 200, 00128, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciccozzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D055030:Drug Users; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054548:Montenegro / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C087036:NS-5 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase