Clinical significance of Hepatitis B virus Genotypes B and C

Aims: Not many researchers report the significance of Genotypes B and C and their implications in sub-Saharan African countries like Nigeria, hence this research aims at finding out this significance in Plateau state. 

Methodology and Results: A Real-Time TEL-PCR-HBV reagent system based on SYBR Green PCR technology was used for the qualitative detection or viral load single-plex detection of hepatitis B Virus (HBV) for 24 Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen (HBsAg) positive mothers and their infants. The PCR reaction involved denaturation of the sample at 95⁰C for 3 minutes for one cycle, followed by 40 cycles consisting of 95⁰C for 0.15seconds, annealing at 60 ⁰C for 0.15seconds and final extension at 72⁰C for 0.10 seconds. HBV DNA from 48 subjects (24 mothers paired to 24 children) was amplified. The most prevalent genotype was C (66.7%) followed by genotype B (33.3%). It was also observed that the mix genotypes; 5 (83.3%), samples contained both A, B and D; 2 (100.0%,) samples contained both C and D; and 2 samples contained genotypes A, B, C and D in mothers, while mix genotype was also observed in infants; 1 sample contained both genotypes A and B, and another 1 (16.7%) sample contained genotype A, B and D. 

Conclusion, Significance and Impact of Study: This study discovered that just like knowledge of the clinical significance of other genotypes in the transmission of HBV is relevant, Genotypes B and C have high clinical significance as well particular in Nigeria as a developing nation