6533b82efe1ef96bd1293455

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Phylogenetic Analysis of isolates from new cases of HBV infection in Southern Italy.

M. GussioRosa Di StefanoAntonio CraxìNoemi UroneSalvatore MaglioccoVito Di MarcoPaola PizzilloDonatella FerraroBruno Cacopardo

subject

Microbiology (medical)AdultMalemedicine.medical_specialtyHepatitis B virusSettore MED/07 - Microbiologia E Microbiologia ClinicaGenotypeBiologymedicine.disease_causeMicrobiologyLiver diseaseEpidemiologyGenotypeGeneticsmedicineHumansMolecular BiologyEcology Evolution Behavior and SystematicsPhylogenyAgedHepatitis B virusAged 80 and overMolecular EpidemiologySettore MED/12 - GastroenterologiaMolecular epidemiologyPhylogenetic treeSequence Analysis DNAHepatitis BMiddle Agedmedicine.diseaseHepatitis BVirologyInfectious DiseasesItalyImmunologyDNA ViralFemaleViral hepatitisHBV genotypes molecular epidemiology Acute HBV infection phylogenetic analysis

description

The level of endemicity of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections in Italy is low and genotype D infections predominant. New HBV strains may however be introduced as a result of movements of people from regions of high endemicity. The aim of the present study was to determine whether strains from new cases of acute hepatitis B detected in southern Italy were due to endemic or new HBV strains. We studied 34 isolates from patients with acute hepatitis B infection, and 35 from chronic hepatitis B patients. A phylogenetic analysis of preS/S region was done by comparing the sequences from the acute and chronic cases with references sequences. The study showed that 44% of strain from acute hepatitis B patients were of genotype A, 53% of genotype D, and 3% of genotype E. The molecular analysis of isolates from acute hepatitis B patients from Sicily showed a change in the local epidemiology of this infection, with an increase in HBV/A infections and a clustering effect for HBV D2, possibly correlated to immigration. The introduction of new genotypes , could have an effect on HBV-correlated diseases due to the different association between genotype, liver disease and response to antiviral therapy.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2012-12-01
10.1016/j.meegid.2012.07.006http://hdl.handle.net/10447/63820