ABSTRACT
Objective To detect VP1 and 2A genes of Enterovirus type 71 (EV71) isolated from clinical specimens of patients with light or heavy symptoms and analyze the homogeneity and phylogenetic tree. Methods Fifty clinical specimens of children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease ( HFMD) were dealed with, which were tested by RT-PCR assay with specific primer pairs for EV71. EV71 isolates from patients with light or heavy clinical symptoms were tested by RT-PCR assay with two specific primer pairs for VP1 and 2A genes of EV71 respectively. All of the PCR products were sequenced and compared with that of previously isolated EV71 isolates available from GenBank by homogeneity and phylogenetic tree analyses. Results The RT-PCR results indicated that 30 isolates were EV71, 13 of 30 isolates were from clinical specimens of patients with light symptoms of hand-foot and mouth, the other were from clinical specimens of patients with heavy symptoms of complications. VP1 genes and 2A genes of 10 EV71 isolated strains including 5 light strains and 5 heavy strains were sequenced and compared with that of previously isolated 5 EV71 Chinese isolates available from GenBank (fuyangEU703814.1, xi_anHM003207. 1, shandongEU753418.1, shenzhenFJ607337.1, henanGU366191. 1) by homogeneity and phylogenetic tree analyses. The homogeneity of VP1 and 2A genes of the 10 EV71 isolated strains and 5 previously isolated strains were between 94.7% -99.4% and 93.6% -99.3% respectively, with the representative isolates of A and B genotypes was between 81.0%-84. 6% and 78. 4%-82. 2% respectively. The data suggested that all of the 10 Chinese isolates belong to EV71 genotype C. There were only 87.8% -90.2% homology among these 10 strains and the representative strains of C1, C2, C3 sub-genotypes of EV71 but 96. 8% -99.6% homology among these 10 strains and the representative strains of C4 sub-genotypes of EV71, this suggested that these 10 Chinese isolates composed the C4 sub-genotype, of the C genotype, that formed a single branch in the phylogenetic tree. Conclusion EV71 of sub-genotype C4 distributed in Mainland China, and VP1 genes have close genetic relationship between isolated strains. There is no obvious difference in 2A genes between clinical specimens of patients with light or heavy symptoms by homogeneity and phylogenetic tree analyses.