1887

Abstract

SUMMARY

The nature and distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypic variants present in south-east Asia have not been extensively investigated. We analysed HCV RNA obtained from 67 clinical serum samples from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and South Korea. All samples were amplified by semi-nested RT-PCR and the nucleotide sequence determined for four regions within the E1, E2/NS1, NS4 and NS5 genes. Each isolate had a unique nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence, consistent with the genetic heterogeneity of this virus. There was remarkably little amino acid sequence variation between isolates of the same genotype, apart from variable domains within putative envelope glycoproteins that are likely to be under immune pressure. All isolates could be classified according to the currently recognized genotypes of HCV, with the exception of one Singapore isolate that defined a new group 3 subtype. The 1b genotype, which predominates in Japan, was the most widely distributed genotype and accounted for 58% of all isolates sequenced. Regional variations in HCV genotype distribution were observed, with type 3a being found almost exclusively in Thailand. By contrast, the 1a genotype, which predominates in the USA was the most prevalent genotype in the Philippines. Genotype 1a was found less commonly among the Thai isolates, presumably having been introduced from the West in stored blood products or by sporadic transmission. The significant prevalence of HCV types 2 and 3 restates the need for variant genotypes to be included in immunodiagnostic and vaccine development strategies. This study reveals that the 1b genotype of HCV, previously found to be the major variant present in east Asia, also predominates in the south-east Asian region, and may be the major HCV type found worldwide.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-76-1-211
1995-01-01
2024-12-07
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/jgv/76/1/JV0760010211.html?itemId=/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-76-1-211&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Bukh J., Purcell R. H., Miller R. H. 1992; Importance of primer selection for the detection of hepatitis C virus RNA with the polymerase chain reaction assay. Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesUSA 89:187–191
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Bukh J., Purcell R. H., Miller R. H. 1993; At least 12 genotypes of hepatitis C virus predicted by sequence analysis of the putative El gene of isolates collected worldwide. Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesUSA 90:8234–8238
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Cha T. -A., Beall E., Irvine B., Kolberg J., Chien D., Kuo G., Urdea M. S. 1992; At least five related but distinct hepatitis C viral genotypes exist. Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesUSA 89:7144–7148
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Chambers T. J., Hahn C. S., Galler R., Rice C. M. 1990; Flavivirus genome organization, expression and replication. Annual Review of Microbiology 44:649–688
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Chen P. J., Lin M. -H., Tai K. -F., Liu P. -C., Lin C. -J., Chen D. -S. 1992; The Taiwanese hepatitis C virus genome: sequence determination and mapping the 5/ termini of viral genomic and antigenomic RNA. Virology 188:102–113
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Choo Q. -L., Kuo G., Weiner A. J., Overby L. R., Bradley D. W., Houghton M. 1989; Isolation of a cDNA clone derived from a blood-borne non-A, non-B viral hepatitis genome. Science 244:359–362
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Choo Q. -L., Richman K. H., Han J. H., Berger K., Lee C., Dong C., Gallegos C., Coit D., Medina-Selby A., Barr P. J., Weiner A. J., Bradley D. W., Kuo G., Houghton M. 1991; Genetic organization and diversity of the hepatitis C virus. Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesUSA 88:2451–2455
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Dusheiko G., Schmilovitz-Weiss H., Brown D., McOmish F., Yap P. -L., Sherlock S., McIntyre N., Simmonds P. 1994; Hepatitis C virus genotypes: an investigation of type-specific differences in geographic origin and disease. Hepatology 19:13–18
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Enomoto N., Takada A., Nakao T., Date T. 1990; There are two major types of hepatitic C virus in Japan. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 170:1021–1025
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Hayashi N., Higashi H., Kaminaka K., Sugimoto H., Esumi M., Komatsu K., Kayashi K., Sugitani M., Suzuki K., Tadao O., Nazaki C., Mizuno K., Shikata T. 1993; Molecular cloning and heterogeneity of the human hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome. Journal of Hepatology 17:S94–S107
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Hijakata M., Kato N., Mori S., Ootsuyama Y., Nakagawa M., Sugimura T., Ohkoshi S., Kojima H., Meguro T., Taki M., Takayama S., Yamada K., Shimotohno K. 1990; Frequent detection of hepatitis C virus U.S. strain in Japanese haemophiliacs. Japanese Journal of Cancer Research 81:1195–1197
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Honda M., Kaneko S., Unoura M., Kobayashi K., Murakami S. 1992; Sequence comparisons for a hepatitis C virus genome RNA isolated from a patient with liver cirrhosis. Gene 120:317–318
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Inchauspe G., Zebedee S., Lee D. -H., Sugitani M., Nasoff M., Prince A. M. 1991; Genomic structure of the human prototype strain H of hepatitis C virus: comparison with American and Japanese isolates. Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesUSA 88:10292–10296
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Kanai K., Kako M., Okamoto H. 1992; HCV genotypes in chronic hepatitis C and response to interferon. Lancet 339:1543
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Kato N., Hijikata M., Ootsuyama Y., Nakagawa M., Ohkoshi S., Sugimura T., Shimotohno K. 1990; Molecular cloning of the human hepatitis C virus genome from Japanese patients with non-A, non-B hepatitis. Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesUSA 88:9524–9528
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Kremsdorf D., Porchon C., Kim J. P., Reyes G. R., Brechot C. 1991; Partial nucleotide sequence analysis of a French hepatitis C virus: implications for HCV genetic variability in the E2/NS1 protein. Journal of General Virology 72:2557–2561
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Kurosaki M., Enomoto N., Marumo F., Sato C. 1993; Rapid sequence variation of the hypervariable region of hepatitis C virus during the course of chronic infection. Hepatology 18:1293–1299
    [Google Scholar]
  18. McOmish F., Chan S. -W., Dow B. C., Gillon J., Frame W. D., Crawford R. J., Yap P. L., Follett E. A. C., Simmonds P. 1993a; Detection of three types of hepatitis C virus in blood donors: investigation of type-specific differences in serological reactivity and rate of alanine aminotransferase abnormalities. Transfusion 33:7–13
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Martell M., Esteban J. I., Quer J., Genesca J., Weiner A., Esteban R., Guardia J., Gomez J. 1992; Hepatitis C virus (HCV) circulates as a population of different but closely related genomes: quasispecies nature of HCV genome distribution. Journal of Virology 66:3225–3229
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Mori S., Kato N., Yagyu A., Tanaka T., Ikeda Y., Petchclai B., Chiewslip P., Kurimura T., Shimotohno K. 1992; A new type of hepatitis C virus in patients in Thailand. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 183:334–342
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Nakao T., Enomoto N., Takada N., Takada A., Date T. 1991; Typing of hepatitis C virus genomes by restriction fragment length polymorphism. Journal of General Virology 72:2105–2112
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Ogata N., Alter H. J., Miller R. H., Purcell R. H. 1991; Nucleotide sequence and mutation rate of the H strain of hepatitis C virus. Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesUSA 88:3392–3396
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Okamoto H., Okada S., Sugiyama Y., Kurai K., Lizuka H., Machida A., Miyakawa Y., Mayumi M. 1991; Nucleotide sequence of the genomic RNA of hepatitis C virus isolated from a human carrier: comparison with reported isolates for conserved and divergent regions. Journal of General Virology 72:2697–2704
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Okamoto H., Kurai K., Okada S., Yamamoto K., Lizuka H., Tanaka T., Fukuda S., Tsuda F., Mishiro S. 1992a; Full- length sequence of a hepatitis C virus genome having poor homology to reported isolates: comparative study of four distinct genotypes. Virology 188:331–341
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Okamoto H., Kojima M., Okada S., Yoshizawa H., Lizuka H., Tanaka T., Muchmore E. E., Peterson D. A., Ito Y., Mishiro S. 1992b; Genetic drift of hepatitis C virus during an 8·2 year infection in a chimpanzee: variability and stability. Virology 89:894–899
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Okamoto H., Kanai N., Mishiro S. 1992c; Full-length nucleotide sequence of a Japanese hepatitis C virus isolate (HC-J1) with high homology to USA isolates. Nucleic Acids Research 20:6410
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Pistello M., Maggi F., Vatteroni L., Cecconi N., Panicucci F., Bresci G. P., Gambardella L., Taddei M., Bionda A., Tuoni M., Bendinelli M. 1994; Prevalence of hepatitis C virus genotypes in Italy. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 32:232–234
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Pozzato G., Moretti M., Franzin F., Croce L. S., Tiribelli C., Masayu T., Kaneko S., Unoura M., Kobayashi K. 1991; Severity of liver disease with different hepatitis C viral clones. Lancet 338:509
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Simmonds P., Holmes E. C., Cha T. -A., Chan S. -W., McOmish F., Irvine B., Beall E., Yap P. L., Kolberg J., Urdea M. S. 1993a; Classification of hepatitis C virus into six major genotypes and a series of subtypes by phylogenetic analysis of the NS-5 region. Journal of General Virology 74:2391–2399
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Simmonds P., Rose K. A., Graham S., Chan S. -W., McOmish F., Dow B. C., Follett E. A. C., Yap P. L., Marsden H. 1993b; Mapping of serotype-specific, immunodominant epitopes in the NS4 region of hepatitis C virus (HCV): use of type-specific peptides to serologically differentiate infections with HCV types 1, 2 and 3. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 31:1493–1503
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Stuyver L., Van Arnhem W., Wyseur A., de Leys R., Maertens G. 1993a; Analysis of the putative El envelope and NS4a epitope regions of HCV type 3. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 192:635–641
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Stuyver L., Rossau R., Wyseur A., Duhamel M., Vanderborght B., Van Heuverswyn H., Maertens G. 1993b; Typing of hepatitis C virus isolates and characterization of new subtypes using a line probe assay. Journal of General Virology 74:1093–1102
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Takada N., Takase S., Enomoto N., Takada A., Date T. 1992; Clinical backgrounds of the patients having different types of hepatitis C virus genomes. Journal of Hepatology 14:35–10
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Takamizawa A., Mori C., Fuke I., Manabe S., Murakami S., Fujita J., Onishi E., Andoh T., Yoshida I., Okayama H. 1991; Structure and organization of the hepatitis C virus genome isolated from human carriers. Journal of Virology 65:1105–1113
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Tanaka T., Kato N., Nakagawa M., Ootsuyama Y., Cho M. -J., Nakazawa T., Hijikata M., Ishimura Y., Shimotohno K. 1992; Molecular cloning of hepatitis C virus genome from a single Japanese carrier: sequence variation within the same individual and among infected individuals. Virus Research 23:39–53
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Tsukiyama-Kohara K., Kohara H., Yamaguchi K., Maki N., Toyoshima A., Miki K., Tanaka S., Hattori N., Nomoto A. 1991; A second group of hepatitis C virus. Virus Genes 5:243–254
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Wang Y., Okamoto H., Tsuda F., Nagayama R., Tao Q. -M., Mishiro S. 1993; Prevalence, genotypes and an isolate (HC-C2) of hepatitis C virus in Chinese patients with liver disease. Journal of Medical Virology 40:254–260
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Weiner A. J., Brauer M. J., Rosenblatt J., Richman K. H., Tung J., Crawford K., Bonino F., Saracco G., Choo Q. -L., Houghton M., Han J. H. 1991; Variable and hypervariable domains are found in the regions of HCV corresponding to the flavivirus envelope and NS1 proteins and the pestivirus envelope glycoproteins. Virology 180:842–848
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Weiner A. J., Geysen H. M., Christopherson C., Hall J. E., Mason T. J., Saracco G., Bonino F., Crawford K., Marion C. D., Crawford K. A., Brunetto M., Barr P. J., Miyamura T., McHutchinson J., Houghton M. 1992; Evidence of immune selection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) putative envelope glycoprotein variants: potential role in chronic HCV infections. Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesUSA 89:3468–3472
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Yoshioka K., Kakumu S., Wakita T., Ishikawa T., Itoh Y., Takayanagi M., Higashi Y., Shibata M., Morishima T. 1992; Detection of hepatitis C virus by polymerase chain reaction and response to interferon-a therapy: relationship to genotypes of hepatitis C virus. Hepatology 16:293–299
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-76-1-211
Loading
/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-76-1-211
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error