Journal of Medical Virology
Volume 82, Issue 8, 2010, Pages 1341-1349

Molecular epidemiological study of hepatitis B virus among migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar to Thailand (Article)

Sa-nguanmoo P. , Tangkijvanich P. , Thawornsuk N. , Vichaiwattana P. , Prianantathavorn K. , Theamboonlers A. , Tanaka Y. , Poovorawan Y.*
  • a Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Department of Pediatrics, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand, Faculty of Graduate School, Inter-Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • b Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • c Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Department of Pediatrics, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
  • d Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Department of Pediatrics, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
  • e Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Department of Pediatrics, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
  • f Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Department of Pediatrics, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
  • g Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kawasumi, Mizuho, Nagoya, Japan
  • h Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Department of Pediatrics, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

Abstract

Although hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is endemic in Southeast Asia, molecular epidemiological data on HBV circulating in some countries are limited. The aims of this study were to evaluate the seroprevalence of HBV and its genetic variability among migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar in Thailand. Sera collected from 1,119 Cambodian, 787 Laotian, and 1,103 Myanmarese workers were tested for HBsAg. HBV DNA was amplified and the pre-S/S region was sequenced for genotyping and genetic mutation analysis. HBsAg was detected in 282 (9.4%). The prevalence of HBsAg among migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar was 10.8%, 6.9%, and 9.7%, respectively. Of 224 subjects positive for HBV DNA, 86% were classified as genotype C (99% were subgenotype C1) and 11.6% were genotype B (30.8%, 34.6%, and 30.8% were sub-genotypes B2, B3, and B4, respectively). Various point mutations in the "a" determinant region were detected in approximately 18% of these samples, of which Ile126Ser/Asn was the most frequent variant. Sequencing analysis showed that 19.1% of samples had pre-S mutations, with pre-S2 deletion as the most common mutant (7.7%) followed by pre-S2 start codon mutation (3.8%) and both pre-S2 deletion and start codon mutation (3.3%). High prevalence of HBV infection (approximately 7-11%) was found among migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, which may reflect the current seroprevalence in their respective countries. The data also demonstrated that HBV sub-genotype C1 was the predominant strain and various mutations of HBV occurring naturally were not uncommon among these populations. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Author Keywords

Southeast Asia Seroprevalence Hepatitis B virus Genotype Mutation

Index Keywords

genetics genotype molecular genetics DNA sequence amino acid substitution point mutation mutant Sequence Homology molecular epidemiology Sequence Analysis, DNA chemistry Sequence Deletion virus DNA Cambodia DNA, Viral mutational analysis Laos Thailand Molecular Sequence Data gene deletion genetic variability human codon gene amplification middle aged Hepatitis B virus nucleotide sequence Young Adult cluster analysis migrant worker Humans classification Adolescent virology male Laotia female Myanmar isolation and purification hepatitis Article blood major clinical study Phylogeny adult gene sequence hepatitis B surface antigen Hepatitis B Surface Antigens seroprevalence hepatitis B Seroepidemiologic Studies
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77956574501&doi=10.1002%2fjmv.21828&partnerID=40&md5=d0f513e1d7762740533586734122d3a3
DOI: 10.1002/jmv.21828
ISSN: 01466615
Cited by: 28
Original Language: English