NEW GENOTYPE OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS IN SOUTH-AFRICA

Partial nucleotide sequences in the core region of the hepatitis C vir al genome were determined by reverse transcription followed by polymer ase chain reaction, in a patient with chronic hepatitis from South Afr ica. These nucleotide sequences showed a low degree of homology with k nown types of HCV: the degree of homology between the nucleotide seque nces of these clones with HC-J1, J4, J6, J7, Tr, and Eb-1 were 86.1-87 .3%, 87.3-87.9%, 83.0-83.9%, 81.1-82.0%, 81.0-82.2%, and 82.8-83.4%, r espectively, and that the deduced amino acid sequence homologies betwe en these clones and HC-J1, J4, H6, J7, Tr, and Eb-1 were 90.7-91.6%, 8 9.7-91.6%, 91.6-93.5%, 90.7-91.6%, 81.5-82.4%, and 89.2-90.2%, respect ively. The nucleotide sequence homologies of these clones with HC-J1, J4, J6, J7, Tr, and Eb-1 were very low, compared to those between the same genotype. Further comparison using molecular evolutionary methods suggested that this sequence should be classified in a new genotype. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.