Premium
Inter‐genotypic recombinant hepatitis C virus strains in Japan noted by discrepancies between immunoassay and sequencing
Author(s) -
Hoshino Hiromi,
Hino Kunihiko,
Miyakawa Hiroshi,
Takahashi Kazuaki,
Akbar Sheikh Mohammad Fazle,
Mishiro Shunji
Publication year - 2012
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/jmv.23300
Subject(s) - virology , recombinant dna , genotype , hepatitis c virus , ns5b , hepatocellular carcinoma , biology , virus , hepacivirus , gene , genetics
Genetic recombination plays a significant role in the survival and evolution of hepatitis C virus (HCV), but methodological limitations have hindered the exploration of genetic recombination. HCV serotypes were evaluated in 104 patients with chronic hepatitis C when they initially presented in hospitals. Subsequently, HCV genotypes were analyzed using primers for core gene and NS5B gene. Near‐complete nucleotide sequences of eight HCV isolates from two suspected patients with 2b/1b recombinant HCV were analyzed by amplification of nine overlapping regions of HCV‐specific oligonucleotide primers at different time points: (i) at the first admission; (ii) before and (iii) after interferon therapy; and (iv) after development of hepatocellular carcinoma. The nucleotide sequence of eight HCV isolates obtained was 9,321–9,471 nucleotides in length, comprising a single ORF (polyprotein of 3,014 amino acids.) and segregated into discordant genotypes of 2b and 1b HCV with a recombination junction in NS2. This study highlights the need for more precise characterization of HCV in clinical samples where there is a discrepancy between immunoassays and sequencing. It also demonstrates the circulation of novel inter‐genotypic recombinant HCV in Japan, because the cross over point of 2b/1b recombinant HCV in eight clinical isolates of these two patients differed from previously reported HCV recombinant from the Philippines and Japan. J. Med. Virol. 84: 1018–1024, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.