1. In vitro replication competence of a hepatitis B genotype D/A recombinant virus: dissimilar biological behaviour regarding its parental genotypes.
- Author
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Trinks J, Sugiyama M, Tanaka Y, Kurbanov F, Benetucci J, Giménez E, Weissenbacher MC, Mizokami M, and Oubiña JR
- Subjects
- Argentina, Base Sequence, DNA, Viral blood, DNA, Viral isolation & purification, Genotype, Hepatitis B e Antigens blood, Hepatitis B virus classification, Hepatitis B virus genetics, Hepatitis B, Chronic virology, Humans, Molecular Sequence Data, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Hepatitis B virus physiology, Recombination, Genetic, Virus Replication
- Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA recombinants contribute to ~30% of the overall full-length sequences already deposited in GenBank. However, their biological behaviour has not been analysed so far. In this study, the in vitro replication kinetics of the first D/A recombinant from the American continent differed from its parental genotypes, exhibiting higher extracellular levels of HBV DNA and hepatitis B e antigen. Southern blots of intracellular core-associated HBV DNA were in agreement with such results. Because this recombinant was obtained from an Argentinian injecting drug user belonging to a vulnerable community, these results are of singular relevance for regional public health. Further in vivo studies are urgently needed to determine the pathogenicity of these replicative competent clones.
- Published
- 2013
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