Hepatitis B virus genotypes among chronic hepatitis B patients reporting at Korle-Bu teaching hospital, Accra, Ghana

Abstract

Introduction: Knowledge of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype is an important predictive variable which might have an impact in management and treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. In Ghana very little information is available on hepatitis B genotypes. This study was conducted to determine the distribution of HBV genotypes circulating among chronic hepatitis B patients reporting at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Accra, Ghana.

Methods: Blood samples (10 ml) were collected from 250 consenting patients. DNA was extracted and amplified using polymerase chain reaction technique. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was used for the detection of genotypes.

Results: Out of the 250 chronic hepatitis B patients who were HBsAg positive, 91 (36.4%) were males aged 29.8 ± 9.1 and 159 (63.6%) females aged 33± 12.1 years. HBV DNA was detected in 111 (44.4%) but only 58 (52%) of these were typeable. These were classified as genotype A, 8 (7.2%); genotype D, 3 (2.7%) and genotype E, 47 (42.3%). Our results did not show any association between the infecting genotype and age (X²= 0.923; p-value=0.623) or gender (X²= 0.283, p= 0.579).

Conclusion: Consistent with similar studies worldwide, the results suggest that genotypes A, D and E were the genotypes circulating among chronic hepatitis B patients who reported to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital with genotype E being the most predominant and therefore constitutes an important public health concern. We recommend further epidemiological studies to understand the implication of genotype E in terms of disease progression and treatment.

Keywords: Hepatitis B Virus; chronic hepatitis B carriers; hepatitis B genotype.

Figure 1

Shows gel electrophoresis pattern for HBV PCR positive samples. Lane M, 100bp molecular base marker, lanes 1-23 are with HBV DNA [540bp]

Figure 2

Shows the outcome of the RFLP of the S gene amplicon that was analyzed. Gel electrophoresis pattern for HBV genotypes obtained after restriction enzymes digest with Hinf 1 and Tsp 5091. Lane M, 100bp molecular base marker, the combination of lanes 4, 6, 8,10, 12 and 14 are one pattern (genotype A), the combination of lanes 3 and 11 are of one pattern (genotype D), the combination of lanes 5, 7, 9 and 13 are of another pattern (genotype E)