SEQUENCE-ANALYSIS OF HEPATITIS GB VIRUS-C (GBV-C) ISOLATES FROM 14 PATIENTS

In 1995, a new human hepatitis virus belonging to the family Flaviviri dae was described and designated hepatitis GBV-C. To investigate varia tions within the genome of GBV-C and to study the relationship of GBV- C to GBV-A/B or hepatitis C virus (HCV), we established a detection sy stem using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the putative helicase region (NS3). So far, isolates derived from 14 different GBV-C-positive sera were analysed (GBV-C/S3-36), showing 80. 1-89.4% (mean: 85%) identical nucleotides. The deduced amino acid sequ ences revealed 97.3% homology. Nucleotide sequences of GBV-C/S3-36 rev ealed about 60% identity to GBV-A as well as to HCV, but only 56% iden tity to GBV-B. Amino acid sequences revealed 73.4 and 68.6% similarity to GBV-A and GBV-B, respectively, but a slightly higher percentage of 78.5% to HCV sequences. Thus, according to the putative GBV-C helicas e sequence, a subtyping of GBV-C into different genotypes may be neces sary. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science B.V.