Clinical significance of Hepatitis B virus Genotypes B and C

Aims: Not many researchers report the significance of Genotypes B and C and their implications in sub-Saharan African countries like Nigeria, hence this research aims at finding out this significance in Plateau state. Methodology and Results: A Real-Time TEL-PCR-HBV reagent system based on SYBR Green PCR technology was used for the qualitative detection or viral load single-plex detection of hepatitis B Virus (HBV) for 24 Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen (HBsAg) positive mothers and their infants. The PCR reaction involved denaturation of the sample at 950C for 3 minutes for one cycle, followed by 40 cycles consisting of 950C for 0.15seconds, annealing at 60 0C for 0.15seconds and final extension at 720C for 0.10 seconds. HBV DNA from 48 subjects (24 mothers paired to 24 children) was amplified. The most prevalent genotype was C (66.7%) followed by genotype B (33.3%). It was also observed that the mix genotypes; 5 (83.3%), samples contained both A, B and D; 2 (100.0%,) samples contained both C and D; and 2 samples contained genotypes A, B, C and D in mothers, while mix genotype was also observed in infants; 1 sample contained both genotypes A and B, and another 1 (16.7%) sample contained genotype A, B and D. Conclusion, Significance and Impact of Study: This study discovered that just like knowledge of the clinical significance of other genotypes in the transmission of HBV is relevant, Genotypes B and C have high clinical significance as well particular in Nigeria as a developing nation.