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Identification of hepatitis B virus genotype A/E recombinants in Ghana

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Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) exhibits a high degree of heterogeneity with at least 10 genotypes (A–J) identified to date. Intergenotypic recombination is relatively common. Previously, we investigated HBV drug resistance in HIV/HBV co-infected individuals in Ghana. After identifying multiple circulating genotypes and a novel D/E recombinant, we sought to determine if additional individuals were also infected with recombinant HBV. Partial genome sequences from three individuals were initially identified as genotype A4. Full-length HBV genomes were obtained using rolling circle amplification followed by PCR and shown to cluster with known A/E recombinant viruses. Similar recombination breakpoints were observed in these three individuals suggesting local spread of this novel recombinant HBV in Ghana.

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Acknowledgements

The initial HBV Drug Resistance Study was funded by a 2012 International Developmental Grant from the Lifespan/Tufts/Brown CFAR (P30AI042853) and the Brown/Tufts AIDS International Training and Research Program (D43TW000237) to Drs. Archampong and Kwara. Additional support was provided by the Brown University–University of Ghana Partnership through a USAID/HED Grant (Award # AEG-A-00-05-00007). Dr. Kwara received additional support from Fogarty International Center (D43TW010055). HBV Amplicon-Seq was conducted by Genomics, Epigenomics and Sequencing Core at Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, which is supported in part through CEG Grant (NIEHS P30-ES006096).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Digestive Disease, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Ceejay L. Boyce, Stephaney Willis & Jason T. Blackard

  2. Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana

    Timothy N. A. Archampong, Margaret Lartey & Adjoa Obo-Akwa

  3. Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana

    Timothy N. A. Archampong, Margaret Lartey & Ernest Kenu

  4. Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana

    Kwamena W. Sagoe

  5. School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana

    Ernest Kenu

  6. Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Awewura Kwara

Authors
  1. Ceejay L. Boyce
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  2. Stephaney Willis
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  3. Timothy N. A. Archampong
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  4. Margaret Lartey
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  5. Kwamena W. Sagoe
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  6. Adjoa Obo-Akwa
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  7. Ernest Kenu
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  8. Awewura Kwara
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  9. Jason T. Blackard
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Contributions

TNA, ML, AOA, EK, and AK contributed to patient enrollment and sample collection. CLB, SW, and KWS contributed to laboratory work. CLB, SW, and JTB contributed to sequence analysis. CLB, SW, and JTB wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors reviewed and edited the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jason T. Blackard.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no financial disclosures relevant to this article and declare no other conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana and Lifespan Hospitals, Providence, Rhode Island reviewed and approved the study. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the Ethical Standards of the Institutional and/or National Research Committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

All participants provided written informed consent for participation in the parent study of HBV/HIV co-infection.

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Edited by Wolfram Gerlich.

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Boyce, C.L., Willis, S., Archampong, T.N.A. et al. Identification of hepatitis B virus genotype A/E recombinants in Ghana. Virus Genes 55, 707–712 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11262-019-01690-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11262-019-01690-y

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