A STUDY OF HEPATITIS B VIRUS GENOTYPES IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS B PATIENTS

Aims: To measure the prevalence of HBV genotypes in chronic hepatitis B patients and their relation to HBeAg and HBV DNA level. Methods: 81 patients were enrolled in this study from January 2009 to December 2010. Clinical, laboratory data were collected during the patient’s hospitalization. Sera were quantitatively tested for HBeAg and HBV DNA. HBV genotyping was made by real-time PCR. Results: Among the 81 patients, 60.5% had genotype B, 26.7% had genotype C and 8.6% had mixed genotype B-C. Prevalence of symptoms (fatigue, anorexia, insomnia...) was higher in genotype C than in genotype B. Genotype C patients had positivity higher HBeAg than genotype B patients (56% vs. 38,8%, p 107 copies/mL was higher in genotype C group than in genotype B group (36% vs. 28,6%, p > 0.05). Conclusions: Most of the patients had genotypes B or C. Patients with genotype C had positive HBeAg and may be related to higher serological HBV DNA level than in genotype B.