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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, June 2006, p. 2109-2118, Vol. 44, No. 6
0095-1137/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.02064-05
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Geographical Distribution of the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 BgK_L Variant in Japan Suggests Gradual Dispersion of the Virus from Shikoku Island to the Other Islands

Shigeru Ozawa,¹ Hiroyuki Eda,^2,3 Kozaburo Hayashi,⁴ the Cooperation Group for HSV-1 RFLP Variant Study, Kamesaburo Yoshino,^1, and Kazuo Yanagi^2*

Yamanashi Institute of Health, Fujimi 1-7-31, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-0027, Japan,¹ Herpesvirus Laboratory, Department of Virology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Toyama 1-23-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan,² The Master's Program of Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan,³ Public Health Research Institute of Kobe City, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture 650-0046, Japan⁴

Received 3 October 2005/ Returned for modification 1 January 2006/ Accepted 6 March 2006

Restriction endonuclease fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) is useful for the epidemiological study of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). We report here the identification of a major BglII RFLP variant of HSV-1, designated BgK_L, found in 27.0% of 636 HSV-1 clinical isolates. We have also established its geographic distribution in Japan. BgK_L has an unusually large BglII K fragment. SalI cleavage analyses showed that 97% of BgK_L variant isolates lack both the SalI C-J and the F-J cleavage sites and have an unusually large SalI D or E fragment, and 91% of the BgK_L variants lack both SalI G and H fragments. Furthermore, 96% of BgK_L isolates have an unusually small KpnI M fragment. Therefore, BgK_L is a marker for these five mutations in most HSV-1 isolates and is a useful HSV-1 RFLP marker. The BgK_L variant was found in 59% of HSV-1 isolates from Shikoku Island, 44% of HSV-1 isolates from the Chugoku region of Honshu Island, 31% of HSV-1 isolates from Kyushu Island, 0% of HSV-1 isolates from Okinawa Island, 49% of HSV-1 isolates from Osaka, 27% of HSV-1 isolates from Shiga, 13% of HSV-1 isolates from the Chubu Region, and 9% of HSV-1 isolates from the Tohoku Region of Honshu Island. Differences in the frequency of BgK_L between the Shikoku-Chugoku-Osaka area (49%) and Kyushu, between Kyushu and Okinawa, between the Shikoku-Chugoku-Osaka area and Shiga, and between Shiga and Tohoku are all statistically significant. The BgK_L frequency decreases in a geographical gradient suggest that this HSV-1 variant was dispersed from Shikoku to the surrounding regions and then to more distant regions. The BgK_L frequency in Tokyo was similar to the nationwide average. These are the first data to suggest a geographic and demographic dispersion pattern of HSV-1. Implications for the epidemiology and diversification of HSV-1 are discussed.

Deceased after the completion of this study.

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• Ozawa, S., Eda, H., Ishii, Y., Ban, F., Funabashi, T., Hata, S., Hayashi, K., Iga, H., Ikushima, T., Ishiko, H., Itagaki, T., Kawana, R., Kobayashi, S., Ogino, T., Sekizawa, T., Shimomura, Y., Shiota, H., Mori, R., Nakakita, T., Numazaki, Y., Ozaki, Y., Yamamoto, S., Yoshino, K., Yanagi, K. (2007). The Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 BgKL Variant, Unlike the BgOL Variant, Shows a Higher Association with Orolabial Infection than with Infections at Other Sites, Supporting the Variant-Dispersion-Replacement Hypothesis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 45: 2183-2190 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
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