Hepatitis B virus infection in Latin America: A genomic medicine approach

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the leading cause of severe chronic liver disease. This article provides a critical view of the importance of genomic medicine for the study of HBV infection and its clinical outcomes in Latin America. Three levels of evolutionary adaptation may correlate with the clinical outcomes of HBV infection. Infections in Latin America are predominantly of genotype H in Mexico and genotype F in Central and South America; these strains have historically circulated among the indigenous population. Both genotypes appear to be linked to a benign course of disease among the native and mestizo Mexicans and native South Americans. In contrast, genotypes F, A and D are common in acute and chronic infections among mestizos with Caucasian ancestry. Hepatocellular carcinoma is rare in Mexicans, but it has been associated with genotype F1b among Argentineans. This observation illustrates the significance of ascertaining the genetic and environmental factors involved in the development of HBV-related liver disease in Latin America, which contrast with those reported in other regions of the world.

Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection in healthcare workers

“…A much higher HBsAg prevalence (8.1%) was detected in 480 healthcare workers investigated by Kondili et al [62] in 2004 in Albania, in accordance with the widespread of HBV infection in this country. In this study, the highest rates of HBsAg positivity were found in the youngest age group (11.4% in the aged [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] and in the auxiliaries (12.6%), but a high HBsAg prevalence (7.2%-7.5%) was also found in the healthcare workers aged over 30. The anti-HBc seroprevalence was also extremely high (70%) in this study and was associated with an age over 40 (OR = 2.9; 95%CI: 1.9-4.6).…”

“…HBV circulates in peripheral blood of infected subjects and any parenteral or mucosal exposure to potentially infected blood or blood contaminated material can be considered a risk for HBV transmission to non-immune/ non-infected subjects [18,27] . In addition, the virus is present at infectious concentrations in semen and cervical secretions, and, consequently, HBV is frequently transmitted also by sexual and vertical routes [8,16] .…”

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk in Alaska Native Children and Young Adults with Hepatitis B Virus: Retrospective Cohort Analysis

“…Outside of Alaska, HBV genotype F (subgenotypes F1–F4) predominantly circulates among the Amerindians of Central and South America (18). The prevalence of HBV infection in Central and South America ranges from 0.5–8%; genotype F is the predominant genotype in many of those regions (19).…”

“…The prevalence of HBV infection in Central and South America ranges from 0.5–8%; genotype F is the predominant genotype in many of those regions (19). However, few studies have reported on the risk of HCC associated with HBV genotype F infection outside of Alaska (18). In the absence of evidence on the risk of HCC for persons with genotype F, it might be prudent to consider HBV genotype testing early in the course of disease in HBV-infected residents of Central and South America or HBV-infected persons who have emigrated from these countries so that HCC surveillance can be initiated.…”

Lack of association between human leukocyte antigen polymorphisms rs9277535 and rs7453920 and chronic hepatitis B in a Brazilian population

“…Most of the HBV-infected people live in countries with high endemicity in East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (WHO -World Health Organization, 2016). In South America, endemicity ranges from intermediate (e.g., southern Brazil and Ecuador) to high (e.g., North Brazil and Peru) (Roman et al, 2014). In Brazil, 120,343 cases of hepatitis B were reported in 2012.…”