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. 2012 Mar 7;18(9):965-70.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i9.965.

Genetic characteristics and pathogenicity of human hepatitis E virus in Nanjing, China

Jia-Bao Geng  1 , Mao-Rong Wang, Ling Wang, Jie Wang, Zhi-Guo Yang, Yan Cheng, Fei Qiao, Min Wang
Affiliations

Genetic characteristics and pathogenicity of human hepatitis E virus in Nanjing, China

Jia-Bao Geng et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the genetic characteristics and pathogenicity of hepatitis E virus (HEV) and assess the potential risk factors for sporadic hepatitis E.

Methods: Sixty-two serum samples from the patients with acute hepatitis E were collected, including 23 cases coinfected with hepatitis B virus. Anti-HEV detection and partial HEV RNA amplification were performed by enzyme immunoassays and reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nPCR) method, respectively, and PCR products were sequenced. The isolated human HEV sequences were analyzed phylogenetically.

Results: The positive rate of serum HEV RNA were 21.0% (13/62), including 5 cases of liver failure. All the 13 isolates shared a 82.1%-98.0% nucleotide homology with each other and had identities of 74.7%-81.0%, 75.3%-78.6%, 75.3%-80.0% and 82.1%-96.1% with the corresponding regions of HEV genotypes 1-4, respectively. The human HEV strain GS-NJ-12 shared a 100% nucleotide identity with the swine HEV strain swIM6-43 isolated from Inner Mongolia, China.

Conclusion: Swine may be a principal risk factor for occurrence of sporadic hepatitis E in eastern China, and genotype 4 HEV can induce acute liver failure.

Keywords: Genotype; Hepatitis E virus; Liver failure; Pathogenicity; Zoonotic transmission.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Phylogenetic tree based on 286 bp of open reading frame 2 of hepatitis E virus genotypes 1-4, 13 human sequences. Human hepatitis E virus isolated in this study were signed with solid triangle.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Phylogenetic tree based on 243 bp of open reading frame 1 of hepatitis E virus genotypes 1-4, 7 human sequences. Human hepatitis E virus isolated in this study were signed with solid square.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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