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Diversity of hepatitis B and C viruses in Chile

Federico A Di Lello1, Flavia G Piñeiro Y Leone, Gabriela Muñoz

  • 1Cátedra de Virología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Journal of Medical Virology
|September 24, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis B and C virus diversity in Chile reveals genotype F is dominant for HBV and subtype 1b for HCV. Molecular analysis suggests Chilean HCV genotype 1b strains share traits with those in Brazil and the US.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are prevalent globally.
  • Limited data exists on the genetic diversity and molecular characteristics of HBV and HCV strains circulating in Chile.
  • Understanding viral diversity is crucial for effective public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the genetic diversity and molecular epidemiology of HBV and HCV in Santiago City, Chile.
  • To determine the predominant HBV genotypes and HCV subtypes circulating in the Chilean population.
  • To analyze the evolutionary history of circulating HCV strains.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analysis of 40 HBV and 57 HCV samples.
  • Genotyping of HBV strains.
  • Subtyping of HCV strains, focusing on subtype 1b.
  • Coalescent analysis of HCV NS5A and NS5B regions.

Main Results:

  • HBV phylogenetic analysis identified genotype F as the most prevalent (67.5%), consistent with the Chilean genetic background. Genotypes A, B, C, and D were less frequent.
  • The majority of HCV samples (82%) belonged to subtype 1b.
  • Coalescent analysis indicated similar population growth rates for HCV strains, with a most recent common ancestor estimated between 1893 and 1901.

Conclusions:

  • The HBV genotype distribution in Chile aligns with the host population's genetic makeup.
  • Circulating HCV genotype 1b strains in Chile exhibit epidemiological characteristics similar to those found in Brazil and the United States.
  • The estimated older common ancestor for Chilean HCV genotype 1b compared to Argentina suggests unique evolutionary patterns in the region.

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