[Establishing a new genotyping method of hepatitis B virus by polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) to analysis on S region and its application].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a new polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method of genotyping HBV using Mbo I, BsTN I, BsmA I, Hpa II and investigate the relationship between genotype and clinical spectrum of hepatitis B. METHODS: 124 full-genomic HBV sequences and 13 S-genomic sequences were analyzed, genotype specific regions were identified by the restriction enzymes Mbo I, BsTN I, BsmA I, Hpa II. And 176 samples from different kinds of hepatitis B were genotyped by this method. Five samples had been randomly selected and directly sequenced their S gene, to assess the accuracy. RESULTS: In 176 serum samples of patients with hepatitis B from Guizhou area, genotype B and C were found in 56.8% and 43.2% respectively. The proportions of genotype B and C in ASC were 40.0% and 15.7% (chi-square = 12.16, P < 0.005); and they were 31.6% and 14.0% in CHB (chi-square = 7.88, P < 0.005). CONCLUSION: Genotyping HBV, based on S gene RFLP seems to be highly sensitive, differential and accurate and could be used in large-scale surveys. HBV genotype B and C are existed in Guizhou area.