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Genotypic Polymorphisms of Hepatitis B Virus Provide Useful Information for Estimating Geographical Origin or Place of Long‐term Residence of Unidentified Cadavers
Author(s) -
Inoue Hiroyuki,
MotaniSaitoh Hisako,
Sakurada Koichi,
Ikegaya Hiroshi,
Yajima Daisuke,
Nagasawa Sayaka,
Iwase Hirotaro
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.12257
Subject(s) - genotype , hepatitis b virus , biology , virology , multiplex polymerase chain reaction , genetics , polymerase chain reaction , virus , gene
Increasing numbers of unidentified cadavers are a major problem. We have developed a new method for providing identification information that can determine the geographical origin or place of long‐term residence of unidentified cadavers based on genotypic polymorphisms of hepatitis B virus ( HBV ) known to correlate with their geographical distribution. PCR of serum samples detected HBV DNA from 4 (3.9%) of 102 randomly selected Japanese forensic cadavers. Multiplex PCR did not detect multiple HBV genotypes from any single cadaver, confirming the absence of coinfection. Phylogenetic tree analysis based on a 485‐bp mutant region of the HBV S gene successfully classified the HBV genotypes into A to J. Among 10 HBV ‐infected cadavers, 8 had genotype Ce/C2, a genotype prevalent in East Asia, and 2 had genotype Bj/B1, a Japanese‐specific genotype. HBV genotypic polymorphisms correlate with the geographical distribution of the virus and thus provide important information for identifying unidentified cadavers infected with HBV .