Tao Wu1,2, Zengbo Xing3, Manqiong Yuan4, Jun Ge1, Guosheng Yuan2, Kaijian Liang5, Biao Wu1, Furong Xiao1, Chunhua Li2, Yuanping Zhou6, Feng Lin7, Ling Lu2,8. 1. Department of Infectious Disease, Hainan General Hospital, Haikou, China. 2. Center for Viral Oncology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, Kansas, USA. 3. Department of Infectious Disease,Wenchang City People's Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Wenchang, China. 4. School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China. 5. Department of Internal Medicine, Baisha People's Hospital, Baisha, China. 6. Department of Infectious Disease, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. 7. Department of Infectious Disease, Hainan General Hospital, Haikou, ChinaLin_fenghn@126.com. 8. Laboratory for the Study of Hepatology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hainan Island has been inhabited by the "Li" aboriginal minority for centuries where the HCV genotype distribution patterns maybe remarkably different from other parts of China. We aimed to provide a better understanding of the infection with HCV genotype 6 among "Li" aboriginals on Hainan Island. METHODS: Firstly, using RT-PCR and DNA sequencing to determined 517 partial HCV Core-E1(115 from Li Ethnic, 402 from Han Ethnic) and 8 full-length genomes from Li ethnic in Hainan Island successfully, and then using the phylogenetic tree to determine the HCV genotype distribution and analyze the evolution of them. RESULTS: Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the distribution pattern of HCV genotypes among the Han and Li ethnic population exhibits significant diferences: 6a was the most prevalent subtype in Han ethnic of Hainan Island followed by 1b, 3b, 2a, 3a, and 1a. All genomes from Li ethnic were classified into genotype 6, while 84 out of 115 (73%) could not be classified. Nine sequences (HN1350 et al.) from Li ethnic might be assigned to a new subtype 6xh as their p-distances ranged from 5.9∼9.7%. Furthermore, we sequenced and characterized full-length genomes for eight HCV-6 isolates which were all from Li ethnic in Hainan Island. Among these isolates, the HN1350 was classified as a new subtype: 6xh. CONCLUSION: Overall, we firstly defined a new subtype of genotype 6xh through partial and new full length genome. And we found a unique distribution pattern of HCV 6 in the Li tribe, which might provide a better way to understand the genetic diversity of HCV-6 and to investigate the phylogeny of HCV strains from Li tribe.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hainan Island has been inhabited by the "Li" aboriginal minority for centuries where the HCV genotype distribution patterns maybe remarkably different from other parts of China. We aimed to provide a better understanding of the infection with HCV genotype 6 among "Li" aboriginals on Hainan Island. METHODS: Firstly, using RT-PCR and DNA sequencing to determined 517 partial HCV Core-E1(115 from Li Ethnic, 402 from Han Ethnic) and 8 full-length genomes from Li ethnic in Hainan Island successfully, and then using the phylogenetic tree to determine the HCV genotype distribution and analyze the evolution of them. RESULTS: Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the distribution pattern of HCV genotypes among the Han and Li ethnic population exhibits significant diferences: 6a was the most prevalent subtype in Han ethnic of Hainan Island followed by 1b, 3b, 2a, 3a, and 1a. All genomes from Li ethnic were classified into genotype 6, while 84 out of 115 (73%) could not be classified. Nine sequences (HN1350 et al.) from Li ethnic might be assigned to a new subtype 6xh as their p-distances ranged from 5.9∼9.7%. Furthermore, we sequenced and characterized full-length genomes for eight HCV-6 isolates which were all from Li ethnic in Hainan Island. Among these isolates, the HN1350 was classified as a new subtype: 6xh. CONCLUSION: Overall, we firstly defined a new subtype of genotype 6xh through partial and new full length genome. And we found a unique distribution pattern of HCV 6 in the Li tribe, which might provide a better way to understand the genetic diversity of HCV-6 and to investigate the phylogeny of HCV strains from Li tribe.
Authors: Ru Xu; Elihu Aranday-Cortes; E Carol McWilliam Leitch; Joseph Hughes; Joshua B Singer; Vattipally Sreenu; Lily Tong; Ana da Silva Filipe; Connor G G Bamford; Xia Rong; Jieting Huang; Min Wang; Yongshui Fu; John McLauchlan Journal: Virus Evol Date: 2022-02-16