Partial nucleotide sequencing of hepatitis E viruses detected in sera of patients with hepatitis E from 14 cities in China.
- Author:
Kui LI
1
;
Hui ZHUANG
;
Wanfu ZHU
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: Base Sequence; Genotype; Hepatitis E; virology; Hepatitis E virus; classification; genetics; Humans; Open Reading Frames; Phylogeny; RNA, Viral; blood; chemistry
- From: Chinese Medical Journal 2002;115(7):1058-1063
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVETo investigate the genotypes of hepatitis E viruses (HEV) detected in sera of patients from different regions of China.
METHODSThe partial genome (nt6461-6860, nt5994-6294) of open reading frame 2 (ORF2) of 45 HEV strains detected from 14 cities of China was amplified and sequenced using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing.
RESULTSForty-one of 45 strains (91%) share the same genotype with HEV Burma strain (B), with nucleotide identities higher than 98% with the representative HEV Chinese strain. Only 4 HEV strains are significantly divergent from the 3 prototype strains of HEV, with nucleotide identities of 77%-80% with HEV Burmese/Chinese strain, 74%-76% with Mexican strain and 74%-77% with the newly discovered HEV US/swine strain, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that these 4 strains may represent 2 different subtypes that belong to a novel genotype of HEV, which is significantly divergent from the prototype Mexico, Burmese and US/swine strains.
CONCLUSIONAmong patients with hepatitis E in China, most are infected by the Chinese prototype HEV, and only a small part by the new genotype HEV.
