scholarly journals Characterization of genotype H hepatitis B virus strain identified for the first time from a Japanese blood donor by nucleic acid amplification test

2005 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 595-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hitoshi Ohnuma ◽  
Akira Yoshikawa ◽  
Hideaki Mizoguchi ◽  
Hiroaki Okamoto ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B Virus ◽  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Nucleic Acid Amplification Test ◽  
Nucleic Acid Amplification ◽  
Hbv Genotype ◽  
First Case ◽  
B Virus

The Japanese Red Cross has been conducting a nucleic acid amplification test (NAT) screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus 1 among blood donors since July 1 1999. The first case of HBV genotype H was found and reported in Japan. Serological markers of HBV were not detected in this NAT-positive donation. It may be that the positive donation was in the serological window period at the early stage of infection. The complete genome of 3215 nt was sequenced, and the sequence had 99·3 % homology with the strain from Los Angeles, USA (LSA2523). Here, a leucine zipper motif was found in the region of the HBV surface antigen conserved through genotypes A–H.

scholarly journals Genotype H: a new Amerindian genotype of hepatitis B virus revealed in Central America

2002 ◽  
Vol 83 (8) ◽  
pp. 2059-2073 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Arauz-Ruiz ◽  
Helene Norder ◽  
Betty H. Robertson ◽  
Lars O. Magnius
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B Virus ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Central America ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Hbv Genotype ◽  
Separate Branch ◽  
B Virus ◽  
Complete Genomes ◽  
Genotype F

The complete genomes were sequenced for ten hepatitis B virus (HBV) strains. Two of them, from Spain and Sweden, were most similar to genotype D, although encoding d specificity. Five of them were from Central America and belonged to genotype F. Two strains from Nicaragua and one from Los Angeles, USA, showed divergences of 3·1–4·1% within the small S gene from genotype F strains and were recognized previously as a divergent clade within genotype F. The complete genomes of the two genotype D strains were found to differ from published genotype D strains by 2·8–4·6%. Their S genes encoded Lys122, Thr127 and Lys160, corresponding to the putative new subtype adw3 within this genotype, previously known to specify ayw2, ayw3 or, rarely, ayw4. The complete genomes of the three divergent strains diverged by 0·8–2·5% from each other, 7·2–10·2% from genotype F strains and 13·2–15·7% from other HBV strains. Since pairwise comparisons of 82 complete HBV genomes of intratypic and intertypic divergences ranged from 0·1 to 7·4% and 6·8 to 17·1%, respectively, the three sequenced strains should represent a new HBV genotype, for which the designation H is proposed. In the polymerase region, the three strains had 16 unique conserved amino acid residues not present in genotype F strains. So far, genotype H has been encountered in Nicaragua, Mexico and California. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete genomes and subgenomes of the three strains showed them clustering with genotype F but forming a separate branch supported by 100% bootstrap. Being most similar to genotype F, known to be an Amerindian genotype, genotype H has most likely split off from genotype F within the New World.

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