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Diversity of GB virus C/Hepatitis G virus isolates in Singapore: Predominance of group 2a and the Asian group 3 variant
Author(s) -
Wong SoonBoon Justin,
Chan SohHa,
Ren EEChee
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(199906)58:2<145::aid-jmv8>3.0.co;2-f
Subject(s) - virology , phylogenetic tree , biology , gb virus c , virus , flaviviridae , hepatitis c virus , group a , genetics , medicine , gene
The occurrence of GBV‐C/HGV infection was studied in 160 individuals from two high‐risk groups in Singapore. RT‐PCR of the 5′‐UTR detected GBV‐C/HGV RNA in 3/73 (4.1%) of patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis for chronic renal failure, and in 17/87 (19.5%) of patients coinfected with HCV who tested positive for HCV RNA. Phylogenetic analysis of 5′‐UTR sequences from these 20 samples showed that the Asian or group 3 variant was found in 45% of the samples sequenced, thus confirming the high frequency of this variant in the region. Group 2a variants accounted for 50% of the samples with a complete absence of group 2b. Our analysis also provided strong bootstrap support for the subdivision of group 2 into subgroups 2a and 2b. This study shows that isolates belonging to all three main groups of GBV‐C/HGV can be detected in Singapore, with the large majority belonging to groups 2a (50%) and 3 (45%). Only a single group 1‐like sequence was detected within the 20 isolates. Of interest also is that all group 3 isolates were identified in Chinese patients while group 2a was found in both Chinese and Malay. J. Med. Virol. 58:145–153, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.