Commentary on: A study of genotype, mutants and nucleotide sequence of HBV in Pakistan

I read with interest the article “A study of genotype, mutants and nucleotide sequence of HBV in Pakistan” by Mumtaz et al. (1) in your journal. The study revealed a prevalence of 96.2% of genotype D in different areas of Pakistan. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been classified into 10 genotypes (based on the intergroup divergence of > 8% to < 17%), with a characteristic geographic distribution that largely coincides with human history and migration. Among the different HBV genotypes, genotype D has been found worldwide, with its highest prevalence in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Southern Asia (2). Mumtaz et al. stated that they wanted to determine the country-wide distribution of HBV genotypes in Pakistan. However, comparing the previous data from this country using larger sample sizes showed conflicting results. We collected all the available data regarding the c 2011 Kowsar M.P.Co. All rights reserved. Please cite this paper as: Jazayeri SM. Commentary on: A study of genotype, mutants and nucleotide sequence of HBV in Pakistan. Hepat Mon. 2011;11(4):289-91. Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education: Knowing the HBV genotypic distribution in a certain population is of importance because it has been shown that they influence the clinical prognosis, response to therapy and, the transmission routes of the disease.