Hepatitis B virus subgenotyping: History, effects of recombination, misclassifications, and corrections

• Published in: Infection, genetics and evolution Vol. 16; pp. 355 - 361
• Main Authors: Shi, Weifeng, Zhang, Zhong, Ling, Cheng, Zheng, Weimin, Zhu, Chaodong, Carr, Michael J., Higgins, Desmond G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.06.2013
• Subjects: Classification; diagnosis; genetics; genotype; Genotyping Techniques; HBV; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B - diagnosis; Hepatitis B - virology; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B virus - classification; Hepatitis B virus - genetics; Hepatitis B virus - isolation & purification; Humans; isolation & purification; phylogeny; Recombination; Recombination, Genetic; Sequence divergence; Subgenotype; virology; Recombination; Hepatitis B virus; HBV; Subgenotype; Classification; Sequence divergence
• ISSN: 1567-1348; 1567-7257; 1567-7257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2013.03.021

•We review the recommendations currently employed for HBV subgenotyping.•We review the history of HBV subgenotyping.•We review the misclassifications in HBV subgenotyping.•Suggestions are made to correct the misclassifications.•Proposals are made to guide future HBV subgenotyping. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has evolved into phylogenetically separable genotypes and subgenotypes. Accurately assigning the subgenotype for an HBV strain is of clinical and epidemiological significance. In this paper, we review the recommendations currently employed for HBV subgenotyping, the history of HBV subgenotyping, the effects of recombination on HBV subgenotyping, misclassifications in HBV subgenotyping, and suggestions are made to correct the misclassifications. Finally, proposals are made to guide future HBV subgenotyping.