Distribution status of hepatitis C virus subtypes in Chongqing: A preliminary study

    ZHANG Fan, WANG Xiaoª²Hong, WANG Yuª²Ming, XIONG Yuª²Lin, TAN Zhaoª²Xia

    Institute of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038,China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To investigate the distribution status of hepatitis C virus subtypes in Chongqing region. METHODS: Serum specimens investigated in this study were obtained from 77 patients whose antiª²HCV and HCV RNA were positive. A reverse transcriptase PCR (RTª² PCR) assay using conserved primers deduced from the coreª²envelope 1 (Cª²E1) region of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome was employed to amplify a 474ª² nucleotideª²long fragment. Phylogenetic analysis of the Cª²E1 sequences was obtained by direct sequencing of the RTª²PCR products and alignment with published HCV subtypes of GenBank. RESULTS: All the electrophoretic fragments of HCV genotyping were positive. Subtypes of all the samples were determined by nucleotide sequencing followed by composition of a phylogenetic tree. It was demonstrated that there were five different subtypes of HCV in Chongqing region, i.e. 1b, 29 cases (38%), 2a, 10 cases (13%), 3a, 12 cases (16%), 3b, 11 cases (14%), 6a, 15 cases (19%). Two previously reported subtypes, 1a and 2b, were not found. CONCLUSION: The diversity of HCV subtypes in Chongqing region appears ......