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.
Highlights
The study of the origin, emergence, and spread of viral infections in human populations is one of the most active and productive areas of research in modern evolutionary biology [1]
Taking into account that acute infections could be an expression of the genotypes currently being transmitted to new hosts, the aim of this work was to study the distribution and evolutionary dynamics of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes in symptomatic acute infections in Buenos Aires city, Argentina
In order to evaluate the subgenotype distribution, the full-length genome sequences of the 55 isolates from the acute infections were studied by phylogenetic analysis
Summary
The study of the origin, emergence, and spread of viral infections in human populations is one of the most active and productive areas of research in modern evolutionary biology [1]. The study of viral phylogeography and evolution is of historical significance, but by revealing the rules of viral evolution, it might be possible to shed light on disease epidemiology [2]. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has a remarkably complex evolutionary history. HBV is classified into eight main genotypes (A-H) and two additional (I and J) were tentatively proposed [6,7]. The diversity of this virus is strongly geographically structured, with a variety of subgenotypes and inter-genotype recombinants exhibiting distinct geographical allocations [6,8]
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