SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.4 issue3Bloodstream infection by Candida spp. in the neonatal unit of a teaching hospital from North Region, Brazil: study of risk factorsGram-positive bactéria carried by ants in hospital environment in the City of Porto Velho, Rondônia State, Brazil author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Journal

Article

Indicators

  • Have no cited articlesCited by SciELO

Related links

  • Have no similar articlesSimilars in SciELO

Share


Revista Pan-Amazônica de Saúde

Print version ISSN 2176-6215On-line version ISSN 2176-6223

Abstract

HOLANDA, Gustavo Moraes; SOARES, Manoel do Carmo Pereira  and  RIBEIRO, Nelson Antonio Bailão. Searching for Hepacivirus related to hepatitis C virus in nonhuman primates. Rev Pan-Amaz Saude [online]. 2013, vol.4, n.3, pp.25-32. ISSN 2176-6215.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5123/S2176-62232013000300004.

Hepacivirus genus comprises hepatitis C virus (HCV), but a proposal to include other viruses, originated from dogs, horses, rodents, and GB virus B (GBV-B), is being made. HCV, or any other virus phylogenetically related to it, has not been identified in wild nonhuman primates, differently from HBV-like viruses. HCV infections in humans are severe, therefore a search for Hepacivirus in other animals is needed for they can cross the evolutionary barrier causing infections in humans. This study tried to identify a nonhuman primate origin for Hepacivirus. Primers have been designed, which bind on HCV IRES region, resulting a final product of 188 bp. A total of 1,054 samples collected from 36 nonhuman primate species were analyzed, of which just 12 presented defined bands and were negative for Hepacivirus after sequencing. In evolutionary analysis, GB virus C in a phylogenetic position is the most distant from HCV, while GBV-B is the nearest. Although HCV-related Hepacivirus is not found in nonhuman primates, its existence cannot be denied. Studies involving other species, such as GB viruses and possible new Hepacivirus, can solve the evolutionary process that has allowed HCV infect humans, since they seem to be the link between HCV and viral species found in wild animals.

Keywords : Hepacivirus; Pegivirus; GB virus A; GB virus B; GB virus C.

        · abstract in Portuguese | Spanish     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )