HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Du, D. Articles by Trépo, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Du, D. Articles by Trépo, C. Agricola Articles by Du, D. Articles by Trépo, C.

Heterogeneity of Hepatitis C Virus Genotypes in France

Ji-su Li^1,

Shu-ping Tong^1,

¹ Unité de Recherche sur les Hepatites, le SIDA et les Retrovirus Humains (INSERM U 271), Lyon
² Unité de Biométrie, Génétique et Biologie des Populations (C.N.R.S. no. 243), Université Claude Bernard-Lyon 1, Lyon, France

The genotypes of French hepatitis C virus (HCV) isolates were investigated by amplification of a domain from the non-structural region 3 (NS3) using nested PCR, followed by hybridization with two genotype-specific probes, F1 (HCV type I-specific) and F2 (HCV type II-specific). Among 119 HCV RNA-positive sera, 91% of samples were NS3 PCR positive. Most samples (83.2%) hybridized with one or the other probe only, whereas a few samples (4.2%) hybridized with both F1 and F2 probes (HB). A small percentage (3.4%) of samples appeared unable to hybridize with either probe (HN). For some of these samples (HB1, HB2, HN1, HN2, HN3, HN4), part of the NS3, core and envelope regions were sequenced and the corresponding deduced consensus sequences were compared with those of prototype isolates of the four HCV genotypes (types I to IV). A phylogenetic tree was constructed to illustrate the relationship between these isolates. The results obtained showed that (i) HN4 appears to be more closely related to type III than to type IV HCV genotypes, which suggests that in France there may exist additional although minor genotypes besides the two major types, F1 and F2. (ii) HB1, HB2, HN1, HN2 and probably HN3 belong to the type II HCV genotype. The association between sequence diversity and putative biological difference for isolates within the same genotype remains to be elucidated.

Present address: Molecular Hepatology Laboratory, MGH East, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, U.S.A.

Received 24 September 1993; accepted 3 December 1993.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Noppornpanth, T. X. Lien, Y. Poovorawan, S. L. Smits, A. D. M. E. Osterhaus, and B. L. Haagmans Identification of a naturally occurring recombinant genotype 2/6 hepatitis C virus. J. Virol., August 1, 2006; 80(15): 7569 - 7577. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-F. Cantaloube, S. Laperche, P. Gallian, F. Bouchardeau, X. de Lamballerie, and P. de Micco Analysis of the 5' Noncoding Region versus the NS5b Region in Genotyping Hepatitis C Virus Isolates from Blood Donors in France. J. Clin. Microbiol., June 1, 2006; 44(6): 2051 - 2056. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-F. Cantaloube, P. Gallian, H. Attoui, P. Biagini, P. De Micco, and X. de Lamballerie Genotype Distribution and Molecular Epidemiology of Hepatitis C Virus in Blood Donors from Southeast France J. Clin. Microbiol., August 1, 2005; 43(8): 3624 - 3629. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Corbet, J. Bukh, A. Heinsen, and A. Fomsgaard Hepatitis C Virus Subtyping by a Core-Envelope 1-Based Reverse Transcriptase PCR Assay with Sequencing and Its Use in Determining Subtype Distribution among Danish Patients J. Clin. Microbiol., March 1, 2003; 41(3): 1091 - 1100. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]