This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Konomi, N.
Right arrow Articles by Abe, K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Konomi, N.
Right arrow Articles by Abe, K.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, October 1999, p. 3291-3295, Vol. 37, No. 10
0095-1137/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology of Hepatitis B, C, E, and G Virus Infections and Molecular Analysis of Hepatitis G Virus Isolates in Bolivia

Nami Konomi,1,2 Chiaki Miyoshi,3 Carlos La Fuente Zerain,4 Tian-Cheng Li,5 Yasuyuki Arakawa,2 and Kenji Abe1,*

Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases,1 Bureau of International Cooperation, International Medical Center of Japan,3 Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases,5 and Third Department of Internal Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine,2 Tokyo, Japan, and Japanese Hospital, Santa Cruz, Bolivia4

Received 5 April 1999/Returned for modification 13 May 1999/Accepted 22 July 1999

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis G virus (HGV), and hepatitis E virus (HEV) was investigated among 574 healthy blood donors in Bolivia. HCV RNA and HGV RNA in the serum were identified by a nested reverse transcription-PCR using primers derived from the 5' untranslated region (5' UTR). We also tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and for the antibody to HEV. The results revealed that HGV RNA was present in 84 of 574 (14.6%) tested blood donors, whereas HBsAg was detected in only 2 (0.3%) donors, and no individuals positive for HCV RNA were found. Anti-HEV immunoglobulin G (IgG) was detected in 93 (16.2%) individuals and anti-HEV IgM was found in 10 (1.7%) individuals among the same population. Phylogenetic analysis of 44 HGV isolates in the 5' UTR showed that 27 (61%) isolates were genotype 3 (Asian type) and the remaining 17 (39%) isolates were genotype 2 (United States and European type). Moreover, we obtained a full-length nucleotide sequence of the HGV genome (designated HGV-BL230) recovered from a Bolivian blood donor. The BL230 was composed of 9,227 nucleotides and had a single open reading frame, encoding 2,842 amino acid residues. Interestingly, the BL230 belonged to genotype 2 of HGV at the level of a full-length sequence, although this was classified as genotype 3 by a phylogenetic analysis based on the 5' UTR sequence. The BL230 differed from previously reported HGV/hepatitis GB virus type C isolates by 12 to 13% of the nucleotide sequence and 4% of the amino acid sequence. Our data indicate a high prevalence of HGV in native Bolivians, and the major genotype of HGV was type 3.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Toyama 1-23-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan. Phone: (81) 3-5285-1111, ext. 2624. Fax: (81) 3-5285-1189. E-mail: kenjiabe{at}nih.go.jp.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, October 1999, p. 3291-3295, Vol. 37, No. 10
0095-1137/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Muerhoff, A. S., Leary, T. P., Sathar, M. A., Dawson, G. J., Desai, S. M. (2005). African origin of GB virus C determined by phylogenetic analysis of a complete genotype 5 genome from South Africa. J. Gen. Virol. 86: 1729-1735 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ampofo, W., Nii-Trebi, N., Ansah, J., Abe, K., Naito, H., Aidoo, S., Nuvor, V., Brandful, J., Yamamoto, N., Ofori-Adjei, D., Ishikawa, K. (2002). Prevalence of Blood-Borne Infectious Diseases in Blood Donors in Ghana. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40: 3523-3525 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Simmonds, P. (2001). 2000 Fleming Lecture. The origin and evolution of hepatitis viruses in humans. J. Gen. Virol. 82: 693-712 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Worobey, M., Holmes, E. C. (2001). Homologous Recombination in GB Virus C/Hepatitis G Virus. Mol Biol Evol 18: 254-261 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Goncales, N. S. L., Pinho, J. R. R., Moreira, R. C., Saraceni, C. P., Spina, A. M. M., Stucchi, R. B., Filho, A. D. R., Magna, L. A., Goncales Junior, F. L. (2000). Hepatitis E Virus Immunoglobulin G Antibodies in Different Populations in Campinas, Brazil. CVI 7: 813-816 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nordbø, S. A., Krokstad, S., Winge, P., Skjeldestad, F. E., Dalen, A. B. (2000). Prevalence of GB Virus C (Also Called Hepatitis G Virus) Markers in Norwegian Blood Donors. J. Clin. Microbiol. 38: 2584-2590 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Smith, D. B., Basaras, M., Frost, S., Haydon, D., Cuceanu, N., Prescott, L., Kamenka, C., Millband, D., Sathar, M. A., Simmonds, P. (2000). Phylogenetic analysis of GBV-C/hepatitis G virus. J. Gen. Virol. 81: 769-780 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Naito, H., Hayashi, S., Abe, K. (2000). The entire nucleotide sequence of two hepatitis G virus isolates belonging to a novel genotype: isolation in Myanmar and Vietnam. J. Gen. Virol. 81: 189-194 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»