Summary auto-generated
Researchers sequenced the 5' terminal region of hepatitis G virus (HGV) from 11 hepatitis patients in three Chinese cities: Lanzhou, Shanghai, and Nanjing. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all Chinese isolates belong to HGV type 3, which is genetically distinct from previously identified West African (type 1) and American/European/African (type 2) strains, with approximately 10% mean sequence divergence. Isolates from Shanghai and Nanjing clustered together and were closely related to a Japanese strain, while some Lanzhou isolates were more similar to southeast Asian variants. Within China, isolates from Shanghai and Nanjing showed low genetic diversity (0.015 mean distance), possibly indicating recent viral spread, whereas Lanzhou isolates exhibited higher diversity (0.033 mean distance), suggesting longer-term establishment in that population. One isolate from northern China appeared to be a recombinant between type 3 and type 2a strains based on different genomic regions. The results demonstrate geographical structure in HGV type 3 distribution, with genetic variation correlating with geographic distance between populations.
Key findings
- All 11 Chinese HGV isolates belong to type 3, genetically distinct from West African type 1 and American/European type 2 strains by approximately 10% sequence divergence
- Chinese isolates segregate into two clusters: Shanghai/Nanjing isolates cluster with Japanese strain GT230, while some Lanzhou isolates cluster with southeast Asian type 3 variants
- Low genetic diversity among Shanghai/Nanjing isolates suggests recent viral spread, contrasting with higher diversity in Lanzhou isolates indicating long-term viral establishment
- Geographic distance correlates with genetic distance: Lanzhou is ~1500 km from Shanghai, with mean sequence divergence of 5%, while Shanghai and Nanjing are only 250 km apart with 0.015 mean distance
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Abstract
We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the 5'-terminal region of the hepatitis G virus (HGV) genome in 11 hepatitis patients from three cities in China. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the Chinese isolates were genetically distinct from previously described West African isolates (type 1) and American, European and East African isolates (type 2), with a mean sequence divergence of approximately 10%. The mean divergence between isolates from Lanzhou, in the northwest of China, and those from Shanghai and Nanjing, on the east coast of China, was 5% (range 3-7%). The isolates from Shanghai and Nanjing were closely related to a common strain in Japan, while some of those from Lanzhou were closely related to a southeast Asian type 3 isolate. Thus, the Chinese isolates belong to the type 3 variant of HGV.