Hepatitis B virus genetic diversity in Argentina: dissimilar genotype distribution in two different geographical regions; description of Hepatitis B surface antigen variants

PIÑEIRO Y LEONE, FG; PEZZANO, S; TORRES, C; RODRÍGUEZ, C; GARAY, M; FAIMBOIN, H; REMONDEGUI, C; SORRENTINO, A; MBAYED, V; CAMPOS, R

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL VIROLOGY : THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PAN AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR CLINICAL VIROLOGY.

Elsevier

Lugar: Amsterdam, Holanda; Año: 2008 vol. 42 p. 381 - 388

1386-6532

Background: The HBV molecular epidemiological data of Argentina are still scarce, sincemost of the previous analyses have been performed in the Metropolitan Region.Objectives: To deepen the current molecular and epidemiological information about thegeographical distribution of HBV genotypes and subgenotypes, and to describe the HBsAgvariants circulating in Argentina. Study Design: Eighty-eight Argentine partial HBsAgsequences from both the Northern and the Metropolitan Regions of the country wereanalyzed along with 67 Argentine HBV sequences existing in GenBank. Results:Phylogenetic and amino acid sequence analysis grouped the 88 samples as genotype A(14.8%), D (21.6%) and F (63.6%). In the Northern Region, 44 out of the 48 sequencesanalyzed (91.7%) grouped as genotype F. Differently, in the Metropolitan Region, the 40samples grouped as genotype F (30.0%), genotype D (42.5%), and genotype A (27.5%). Anelevated proportion (14.8%) of the genomes presented mutations in the MHR.Conclusions: The different genotype distribution in both Argentine regions indicates thatthe epidemiological landscape of HBV infection appears to be the result of the diversehuman migratory movements that have given shape to the present population. Our findingsshow that the prevalence of HBsAg variants is quite significant among the Argentinepopulation.