Determination of HBV Genotypes among Hbs Ag Positive Blood Donors in Tehran, Iran Using PCR-RFLP

Background: hepatitis b virus (hbv) is one of the major causative agents of acute and chronic liver disease worldwideand is believed to be responsible for a million deaths annually. on the basis of a comparison of complete genomic sequences,hbv has been classified into eight genotypes a-h which show a geographical distribution. some genotypes areassociated with different clinical outcomes. identification of hbv genotypes is important to begin and follow up the treatment.methods: in this cross-sectional study, the serum samples of blood donors were collected from tehran blood transfusioncenters in period during 2005-2006. sera of 55 blood donors who were positive for hepatitis b surface antigen were selected.dna was extracted using commercial kit and the s gene sequence was amplified by nested-pcr. pcr productswere then analyzed for restriction enzymes that would be genotype specific.results: genotype d was found the only type in all hbv dna positive serum samples, in tehran.conclusion: genotype d is dominant among tehran’s blood donors, which is consistent with iran and the middle eastdominant genotype.