Hepatitis B virus: Genotypes and subtypes in Brazilian hemodialysis patients

There are no data concerning the genotypic analysis of hepatitis B virus (H BV) infection in Brazilian dialysis centers. Serum samples from all hemodia lysis patients (n = 282) in Goiania City, Central Brazil, were tested for h epatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). An overall prevalence of 12.0% was foun d, ranging from 0 to 33.3% depending on dialysis centers. Positive samples (n = 34) were submitted to serological subtyping by monoclonal ELISA and HB V DNA detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Among 30 PCR-positive s amples, 26 were genotyped by use of the line probe assay technology (INNO-L iPA HBV, Innogenetics, Gent, Belgium). HBV genotypes A (50.0%) and D (46.2% ) were the most frequently found whereas genotype F (3.8%) was rare in this population. Serological subtypes adw(2) (44.1%) and ayw(3) (41.2%) were do minant. By contrast, adw(4) and ayw(2) were found at a low frequency (2.9%) . A correlation was observed in the distribution of genotypes and subtypes by dialysis center. Genotype D and subtype ayw(3) were predominant in 2 hem odialysis centers whereas genotype A and subtype adw(2) were predominant in the others. The findings of high HBsAg prevalence rates restricted to cert ain dialysis centers and the data obtained through genotyping and serologic al subtyping suggest HBV nosocomial transmission in these hemodialysis cent ers.