[Heterogeneity of delta virus RNA sequences in Japan]

Hepatitis delta virus RNA sequences were determined in isolates from two Japanese patients, M and S, by polymerase chain reaction and direct nucleotide sequencing and compared with three isolates from Italy, USA and Taiwan. The sequence obtained for hepatitis delta virus RNA from patient M was 92-96% identical to the sequences obtained for three other strains of hepatitis delta virus, whereas the sequence of hepatitis delta virus RNA obtained from patient S was approximately 80% identical to the other sequenced strains. This suggests that the delta agent in Japan has a heterogeneous origin and the delta virus RNA sequence from Japanese patient S is the most divergent delta virus isolate yet analyzed.