Niro G A, Smedile A, Andriulli A, Rizzetto M, Gerin J L, Casey J L
Division of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
Hepatology. 1997 Mar;25(3):728-34. doi: 10.1002/hep.510250339.
The sera of 46 Italian patients with chronic hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection were analyzed for HDV RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Genetic analysis of sequences amplified from two regions of the HDV genome indicated that all HDV RNA-positive patients (98%) were infected with HDV genotype I. In Italy, infection with this genotype appeared to be associated with a broad spectrum of chronic disease. No subtypes of HDV genotype I were identified, nor were genetic variations clearly associated with different disease patterns; however, clustering of some sequences suggested correlations with geography and transmission route. Italian HDV genotype I sequences were more diverse than those from east Asia and North America, suggesting that HDV genotype I was likely introduced to Italy earlier and/or from multiple sources as compared to those areas. All sequences analyzed were predicted to fold into the unbranched rod structure typical of HDV RNA. Within this structure, three conserved features were identified, including sequences around the RNA editing site and the polyadenylation signal site. We conclude that in Italy, where HDV infection has been endemic, the overwhelmingly predominant genotype of HDV is genotype I.
通过聚合酶链反应（PCR）扩增，对46例意大利慢性丁型肝炎病毒（HDV）感染患者的血清进行HDV RNA分析。对从HDV基因组两个区域扩增的序列进行基因分析表明，所有HDV RNA阳性患者（98%）均感染HDV基因I型。在意大利，感染该基因型似乎与广泛的慢性疾病有关。未鉴定出HDV基因I型的亚型，也未发现与不同疾病模式明显相关的基因变异；然而，一些序列的聚类表明与地理和传播途径有关。意大利HDV基因I型序列比来自东亚和北美的序列更多样化，这表明与这些地区相比，HDV基因I型可能更早或从多个来源引入意大利。所有分析的序列预计都会折叠成HDV RNA典型的无分支杆状结构。在该结构中，鉴定出三个保守特征，包括RNA编辑位点和聚腺苷酸化信号位点周围的序列。我们得出结论，在HDV感染呈地方性流行的意大利，HDV压倒性的主要基因型是基因I型。
