J Korean Med Sci.  2020 Dec;35(49):e422. 10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e422.

Circulating Respiratory Syncytial Virus Genotypes and Genetic Variability of the G Gene during 2017 and 2018/2019 Seasonal Epidemics Isolated from Children with Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Daejeon, Korea

• Kang HM
• Park KC
• Park J
• Kil HR
• Yang EA

• KMID: 2509596
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e422

Abstract

Background
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major pathogen causing respiratory tract infections in infants and young children. The aim of this study was to confirm the genetic evolution of RSV causing respiratory infections in children at Daejeon in Korea, through G gene analysis of RSV-A and RSV-B strains that were prevalent from 2017 to 2019.
Methods
Pediatric patients admitted for lower respiratory tract infections at The Catholic University of Korea Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital in the 2017 and 2018/2019 RSV seasonal epidemics, who had RSV detected via multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were included. The nucleic acid containing RSV-RNA isolated from each of the patients' nasal discharge during standard multiplex PCR testing was stored. The G gene was sequenced and phylogenetic analysis was performed using MEGA X program and the genotype was confirmed.
Results
A total of 155 specimens including 49 specimens from 2017 and 106 specimens from 2018-2019 were tested. The genotype was confirmed in 18 specimens (RSV-A:RSV-B = 4:14) from 2017 and 8 specimens (RSV-A:RSV-B = 7:1) from 2018/2019. In the phylogenetic analysis, all RSV-A type showed ON1 genotype and RSV-B showed BA9 genotype.
Conclusion
RSV-B belonging to BA9 in 2017, and RSV-A belonging to ON1 genotype in 2018/2019 was the most prevalent circulating genotypes during the two RSV seasons in Daejeon, Korea.

Keyword

Respiratory Syncytial Virus; G Protein; Genotypes; Duplication Region

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Phylogenetic trees based on the second hypervariable region of the G protein. Trees using the neighbor-joining method with maximum composition likelihood in Mega X by bootstrapping (1000 iterations). Only bootstrap values ≥ 50% are shown for each tree. Our stains were expressed as name of strains/country/isolated case number/collected year. The control strains used for comparison were expressed as accession numbers registered in the Genbank. (A) RSV-A (All cases are classified as ON1 genotype, n = 11), (B) RSV-B (All cases are classified as BA9 genotype, n = 15).RSV = respiratory syncytial virus.

• 

  Fig. 2 Phylogenetic trees based on the second hypervariable region of the G protein with genes with high similarity (97%–100% identity) via the MegaBLAST program. Trees using the neighbor-joining method with maximum composition likelihood in Mega X. Bootstrap values were 1,000 iterations. Only bootstrap values ≥ 50% are shown for each tree. Our stains were expressed as name of strains/country/isolated case number/collected year. The control strains used for comparison were expressed as accession numbers registered in the Genbank and strains/country/isolates/number/collected year. (A) RSV-A, (B) RSV-B.RSV = respiratory syncytial virus.

• 

  Fig. 3 Deduced amino acid alignments of the second variable region of the G genes. The amino acid positions corresponded to amino acid positions 210 or 230 to 310 of the reference sequence. The original and duplicated 23-amino-acid region in RSV-A group and 20-amino-acid region in RSV-B group are indicated by rectangles. Our stains were expressed as name of strains/country/isolated case number/collected year. Control strains used to compare were expressed as accession numbers registered in the Genbank and strains/country/isolates/number/collected year. (A) RSV-A (The representative RSV-A ON1 genotype strain was ON67-1210A, GenBank accession number JN257693); (B) RSV-B (The representative RSV-B BA genotype strain was BA4128/99B, GenBank accession number AY333364).RSV = respiratory syncytial virus, blue color = the sequence mutated found in other strains which were previously reported, green color = the sequence mutated relatively new compared to strains with high similarities, red color = the sequences mutated in the duplicated region.

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