The Prevalence and Replication Capacity of a Tibetan Dominant HBV Strain, C/D Recombinant

This study aimed to estimate the distribution of hepatitis B virus (HBV) C/D recombinant in Han and Tibet patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and then learn such strain's replication capacity in vivo. A total of 331 serum samples were collected from Han outpatients from Sichuan Province and Tibetan outpatients from Tibet. Viral genotypes in these samples were identified. An HBV replicative plasmid of C/D recombinant was constructed with selected genome. Sequentially, HBV replicative mouse models were established and the replication capacity of the viral strain was studied in vivo. In the 314 Han patients, 66% (207) were infected by genotype B strain while 31% (96) were by genotype C strain. Only 1% (3) were by C/D recombinant. In the 17 Tibetan patients, 41% (7) were by genotype D and 35% (6) by C/D recombinant. A plasmid with 1.3 copies of C/D recombinant genome was constructed. And its replication intermediates were found at similar levels to that of genotype D strain. Thus, C/D recombinant, the dominant viral strain in Tibet, was rather rare in the genotype B predominated Han patients from Sichuan Province. And the C/D recombinant replicated at a similar level to viral strain of genotype D in vivo.