Genotype Distribution and Molecular Epidemiology of Hepatitis C Virus in Hubei, Central China

Abstract

BackgroundLittle is known about the molecular epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Central China.Methodology/Principal FindingsA total of 570 patients from Hubei Province in central China were enrolled. These patients were tested positive for HCV antibody prior to blood transfusion. Among them, 177 were characterized by partial NS5B and/or Core-E1 sequences and classified into five subtypes: 1b, 83.0% (147/177); 2a, 13.0% (23/177); 3b, 2.3% (4/177); 6a, 1.1% (2/177); 3a, 0.6% (1/177). Analysis of genotype-associated risk factors revealed that paid blood donation and transfusion before 1997 were strongly associated with subtypes 1b and 2a, while some subtype 2a cases were also found in individuals with high risk sexual behaviors; subtypes 3b, 6a, and 3a were detected only in intravenous drug users. Phylogeographic analyses based on the coalescent datasets demonstrated that 1b, 2a, 3b, and 6a were locally epidemic in Hubei Province. Among them, subtype 1b Hubei strains may have served as the origins of this subtype in China, and 2a and 3b Hubei strains may have descended from the northwest and southwest of China, respectively, while 6a Hubei strains may have been imported from the central south and southwest.Conclusion/SignificanceThe results suggest that the migration patterns of HCV in Hubei are complex and variable among different subtypes. Implementation of mandatory HCV screening before donation has significantly decreased the incidence of transfusion-associated HCV infection since 1997. More attention should be paid to intravenous drug use and unsafe sexual contact, which may have become new risk factors for HCV infection in Hubei Province.

The genotype analysis of the hepatitis C virus in Heilongjiang Province, China

“…Our results are consistent with the distribution of HCV genotypes in the north, where subtypes 1b and 2a are the main circulating subtypes. [19] Our study demonstrated 23% (7/30) recombination, which contradicts some reports indicating that recombination is a rare phenomenon. [20,21] As the probability of detecting recombinant strains is low, it is likely that their incidence is underestimated.…”

“…Until this study, little was known about the distribution of HCV genotypes in Heilongjiang Province. Our results are consistent with the distribution of HCV genotypes in the north, where subtypes 1b and 2a are the main circulating subtypes [19] . Our study demonstrated 23% (7/30) recombination, which contradicts some reports indicating that recombination is a rare phenomenon [20,21] .…”

The genotype analysis of the hepatitis C virus in Heilongjiang Province, China

“…Our results are consistent with the distribution of HCV genotypes in the north, where subtypes 1b and 2a are the main circulating subtypes. [19] Our study demonstrated 23% (7/30) recombination, which contradicts some reports indicating that recombination is a rare phenomenon. [20,21] As the probability of detecting recombinant strains is low, it is likely that their incidence is underestimated.…”

“…Until this study, little was known about the distribution of HCV genotypes in Heilongjiang Province. Our results are consistent with the distribution of HCV genotypes in the north, where subtypes 1b and 2a are the main circulating subtypes [19] . Our study demonstrated 23% (7/30) recombination, which contradicts some reports indicating that recombination is a rare phenomenon [20,21] .…”

Genotype Distribution and Molecular Epidemiology of Hepatitis C Virus in Guangzhou, China: Predominance of Genotype 1b and Increasing Incidence of Genotype 6a

“…This study as well as others demonstrated that subtype 1b is the most prevalent subtype in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China [6-11, 13, 16]. However, the prevalence of subtype 1b decreased from 70% to 60% in recent years.…”

“…Briefly, the combination of the GTR+I+Г4 substitution model, the Bayesian skyline coalescent model, and the uncorrelated exponential clock mode was selected because this combination always outperformed other combinations [6, 9]. With the aforementioned datasets and the BEAST settings described previously, evolutionary rates (substitution per site per year) were estimated and used as priors in the present study: 1.51×10 –3 ± 2.66×10 –5 , 2.78×10 –3 ± 2.30×10 –6 , 2.00×10 –3 ± 3.00×10 –5 , 5.20 ×10 –3 ± 6.85×10 –5 , and 2.74×10 –3 ± 1.51×10 –5 for the subtypes 1b, 2a, 3a, 3b, 6a Core-E1 sequences, respectively [9, 12, 13]. After generating the XML files and importing them into BEAST, the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) chain was run for 200 million states and sampled every 10, 000 states, ensuring that sufficient sampling has been achieved, indicated by the estimated effective sampling sizes (ESSs) greater than 200.…”

Genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus in 952 cases from 2014 to 2016 in Hunan Province, China

“…Similar to other districts of China [ 3 , 4 , 7 , 11 – 14 , 18 ], HCV GT1 was the most predominant HCV strain in Hunan Province, and GT4 and GT5 were not found. HCV GT2, which is reported to be the second predominant HCV strain in northern and central China [ 3 , 4 , 7 , 11 , 12 ], was only detected in 2.6% of the 952 cases in Hunan Province, while GT6 ranked as the second most prevalent genotype and GT3 the third.…”

The genotype analysis of the hepatitis C virus in Heilongjiang Province, China

“…Our results are consistent with the distribution of HCV genotypes in the north, where subtypes 1b and 2a are the main circulating subtypes. [19] Our study demonstrated 23% (7/30) recombination, which contradicts some reports indicating that recombination is a rare phenomenon. [20,21] As the probability of detecting recombinant strains is low, it is likely that their incidence is underestimated.…”

“…Until this study, little was known about the distribution of HCV genotypes in Heilongjiang Province. Our results are consistent with the distribution of HCV genotypes in the north, where subtypes 1b and 2a are the main circulating subtypes [19] . Our study demonstrated 23% (7/30) recombination, which contradicts some reports indicating that recombination is a rare phenomenon [20,21] .…”

Genotype Distribution and Molecular Epidemiology of Hepatitis C Virus in Guangzhou, China: Predominance of Genotype 1b and Increasing Incidence of Genotype 6a

“…This study as well as others demonstrated that subtype 1b is the most prevalent subtype in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China [6-11, 13, 16]. However, the prevalence of subtype 1b decreased from 70% to 60% in recent years.…”

“…Briefly, the combination of the GTR+I+Г4 substitution model, the Bayesian skyline coalescent model, and the uncorrelated exponential clock mode was selected because this combination always outperformed other combinations [6, 9]. With the aforementioned datasets and the BEAST settings described previously, evolutionary rates (substitution per site per year) were estimated and used as priors in the present study: 1.51×10 –3 ± 2.66×10 –5 , 2.78×10 –3 ± 2.30×10 –6 , 2.00×10 –3 ± 3.00×10 –5 , 5.20 ×10 –3 ± 6.85×10 –5 , and 2.74×10 –3 ± 1.51×10 –5 for the subtypes 1b, 2a, 3a, 3b, 6a Core-E1 sequences, respectively [9, 12, 13]. After generating the XML files and importing them into BEAST, the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) chain was run for 200 million states and sampled every 10, 000 states, ensuring that sufficient sampling has been achieved, indicated by the estimated effective sampling sizes (ESSs) greater than 200.…”

Genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus in 952 cases from 2014 to 2016 in Hunan Province, China

“…Similar to other districts of China [ 3 , 4 , 7 , 11 – 14 , 18 ], HCV GT1 was the most predominant HCV strain in Hunan Province, and GT4 and GT5 were not found. HCV GT2, which is reported to be the second predominant HCV strain in northern and central China [ 3 , 4 , 7 , 11 , 12 ], was only detected in 2.6% of the 952 cases in Hunan Province, while GT6 ranked as the second most prevalent genotype and GT3 the third.…”

The genotype analysis of the hepatitis C virus in Heilongjiang Province, China

“…Our results are consistent with the distribution of HCV genotypes in the north, where subtypes 1b and 2a are the main circulating subtypes. [19] Our study demonstrated 23% (7/30) recombination, which contradicts some reports indicating that recombination is a rare phenomenon. [20,21] As the probability of detecting recombinant strains is low, it is likely that their incidence is underestimated.…”

“…Until this study, little was known about the distribution of HCV genotypes in Heilongjiang Province. Our results are consistent with the distribution of HCV genotypes in the north, where subtypes 1b and 2a are the main circulating subtypes [19] . Our study demonstrated 23% (7/30) recombination, which contradicts some reports indicating that recombination is a rare phenomenon [20,21] .…”

Genotype Distribution and Molecular Epidemiology of Hepatitis C Virus in Guangzhou, China: Predominance of Genotype 1b and Increasing Incidence of Genotype 6a

“…This study as well as others demonstrated that subtype 1b is the most prevalent subtype in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China [6-11, 13, 16]. However, the prevalence of subtype 1b decreased from 70% to 60% in recent years.…”

“…Briefly, the combination of the GTR+I+Г4 substitution model, the Bayesian skyline coalescent model, and the uncorrelated exponential clock mode was selected because this combination always outperformed other combinations [6, 9]. With the aforementioned datasets and the BEAST settings described previously, evolutionary rates (substitution per site per year) were estimated and used as priors in the present study: 1.51×10 –3 ± 2.66×10 –5 , 2.78×10 –3 ± 2.30×10 –6 , 2.00×10 –3 ± 3.00×10 –5 , 5.20 ×10 –3 ± 6.85×10 –5 , and 2.74×10 –3 ± 1.51×10 –5 for the subtypes 1b, 2a, 3a, 3b, 6a Core-E1 sequences, respectively [9, 12, 13]. After generating the XML files and importing them into BEAST, the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) chain was run for 200 million states and sampled every 10, 000 states, ensuring that sufficient sampling has been achieved, indicated by the estimated effective sampling sizes (ESSs) greater than 200.…”

Genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus in 952 cases from 2014 to 2016 in Hunan Province, China

“…Similar to other districts of China [ 3 , 4 , 7 , 11 – 14 , 18 ], HCV GT1 was the most predominant HCV strain in Hunan Province, and GT4 and GT5 were not found. HCV GT2, which is reported to be the second predominant HCV strain in northern and central China [ 3 , 4 , 7 , 11 , 12 ], was only detected in 2.6% of the 952 cases in Hunan Province, while GT6 ranked as the second most prevalent genotype and GT3 the third.…”