African, Amerindian and European hepatitis B virus strains circulate on the Caribbean Island of Martinique

Abstract

Ten Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes, as well as numerous subgenotypes, have been described in well-characterized ethnogeographical populations. Martinique has been at a crossroads between Africa, Europe, India and the Americas because of the slave trade (17th-19th centuries), followed by an important immigration of Indian and West African workers. In this work, we aimed to study the molecular epidemiology of HBV infection in Martinique according to this unique settlement pattern. To that end, blood samples from 86 consecutive HBV-infected patients from the main hospitals of the island, were retrospectively analysed. Direct sequencing of the pre-S1 or pre-C-C region or complete genome sequencing, followed by phylogenetic analyses were performed. HBV genotypes were: HBV/A1 (68.6 %), HBV/A2 (10.5 %), HBV/D, mainly HBV/D3 and HBV/D4 (8.1 %), HBV/F (3.5 %), and also HBV/E (2.3 %), two strains isolated from two West-African patients. Moreover, 74 % of the HBeAg-negative strains harboured classical pre-C-C mutations, and most HBV/A1 strains also containing specific mutations. Finally, various patterns of deletion mutants in pre-S and pre-C-C regions were found. In conclusion, our findings point to historical and migration-related issues in HBV-genotype distribution suggesting that HBV/A1, but not HBV/E, was imported from Africa during the slave trade, and further supporting the hypothesis that HBV/E has emerged recently in West Africa (,150 years). Potential origins of 'European' HBV/A2 and HBV/D3, 'Amerindian' HBV/F, and HBV/D4 strains are also discussed. Such HBV genetic diversity, beyond its epidemiological interest, may have a clinical impact on the natural history of HBV infection in Martinique.

Hepatitis B Virus Subgenotype A1: Evolutionary Relationships between Brazilian, African and Asian Isolates

“…One clade is mainly ‘African’ and includes isolates from southern, eastern and central Africa, while the other, comprising isolates from Asia and Somalia, has been called ‘Asian’ [45]–[47] or ‘Afro-Asian’ [48]. Recently, the term ‘Asian-American’ has also been used to design this latter clade, based on phylogenetic analyses that included HBV/A1 isolates from Caribbean islands and a restricted number of South American strains [19], [31]. The ‘Asian-American’ clade would have originated in the nineteenth century when African slaves were exported from Mozambique to Central and South America, the islands of the Indian Ocean, and India.…”

“…It has been suggested that the circulation of HBV genotypes A, D, and F reflects the ancestral descent of the Brazilian population [23]. The origin of the Brazilian population can be traced from three main sources, namely the Amerindians, who are mainly HBV/F carriers [28], [29], the European colonizers, responsible for the entry of genotypes A2 and D into Latin America [30], [31], and the African slaves, who would have been carriers of HBV/A1 when they arrived in Brazil between the 16 th and the 19 th century. The proposal that subgenotype A1 was introduced into Brazil by the arrival of slaves [23], [24] has been reinforced by the observations that (i) HBV/A1 is almost the exclusive subgenotype found in semi-isolated Afro-descendant communities [32]–, and (ii) Blacks and Mulattos (mixed descent) are more frequently infected with subgenotype A1 than caucasians, whereas the contrary is true for genotype D [30].…”

Genetic Variants of Hepatitis B Virus in Primary Donors in Astana, Kazakhstan

“…), включа-ющий рекомендованный для генотипирования ВГВ регион Pre-S1/Pre-S2/S протяженностью 1169 п.о., область 2848-3182...1-835 нт, согласно представленному в международной базе данных GenBank изоляту Mart-B47 (HE974377.1) [10].…”

Molecular Epidemiology Features of HBV/HDV Co-Infection in Kyrgyzstan

“…), включающий рекомендованный для гено-типирования ВГВ регион Pre-S1/Pre-S2/S про-тяженностью 1169 п.о., область 2848-3182...1-835 нт, согласно представленному в междуна-родной базе данных GenBank изоляту Mart-B47 (HE974377.1) [10].…”