Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
18:10
Isolation of Fidelity Variants of RNA Viruses and Characterization of Virus Mutation Frequency
Published on: June 16, 2011
Nucleotide identity and variability among different Pakistani hepatitis C virus isolates
Muhammad Idrees1, Sadia Butt, Zunaira Awan
1National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, 87-West Canal Bank Road Thokar Niaz Baig Lahore-53700, University of the Punjab Lahore, Pakistan. idreeskhan96@yahoo.com
Virology Journal
|August 25, 2009
Summary
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3 is the most common in Pakistan, showing significant nucleotide variability. This study analyzed HCV isolates across Pakistan to understand genetic diversity.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Genetics
- Public Health
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome variability is crucial for genotyping.
- Existing genotyping methods are widely used globally.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine nucleotide identity and variability of prevalent HCV isolates in Pakistan.
- To analyze genetic diversity across different geographical regions.
Main Methods:
- Sequencing analysis of the 5'noncoding region (5'-NCR) of 100 HCV RNA-positive patients.
- Samples were collected from all four provinces of Pakistan.
- ABI PRISM 3100 Genetic Analyzer was used for sequencing.
Main Results:
- HCV genotype 3 is predominant (50% prevalence), followed by types 1 (9%) and 4 (6%).
- Overall nucleotide similarity among Pakistani isolates was 92.50% +/- 0.50%.
- Nucleotide variability in the 5'NCR region was 7.5% +/- 0.50%, with high intra-genotype identity (e.g., 99.80% for type 4).
Conclusions:
- Genotype 3 is the most prevalent HCV genotype in Pakistan.
- Significant nucleotide divergence exists between different HCV genotypes found in Pakistan.
- Understanding genetic diversity is key for effective HCV control strategies.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Hepatitis
Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver most commonly caused by hepatotropic viruses (A–E), though non-infectious causes such as alcohol and drugs also exist.Hepatitis AHepatitis A virus (HAV) is a non-enveloped RNA virus of the Picornaviridae family. It is primarily transmitted via the fecal-oral route, typically through ingestion of contaminated food or water. After ingestion, HAV enters the bloodstream through the oropharynx or intestinal epithelium and reaches the liver. The...
01:05Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs
A single nucleotide polymorphism or SNP is a single nucleotide variation at a specific genomic position in a large population. It is the most prevalent type of sequence variation found in the human genome. Point mutations that occur in more than 1% of the population qualify as SNPs. These are present once every 1000 nucleotides on an average in the human genome. Replacement of a purine with another purine (A/G) or a pyrimidine with another pyrimidine (C/T) is known as a transition. In contrast,...