New Nucleotide Sequences of the 5 Non-coding Region of Hepatitis C Virus Isolated from China

From the sera of 3 Chinese patients with hepatitis C, 3 new nucleotide sequences of the 5 non coding region (5NCR) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) were found using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) and DNA recombinant and sequencing techniques. Comparing with previously published HCV corresponding sequences, these new sequences have some consecutive nucleotides deleted or inserted. Sequence YS225 1 has 18 nucleotides deletion between the original position 174～-155 compared with the corresponding sequence of the prototype, HCV 1 (gene 1a); while sequence YS203 4 and sequence YS242 1 respectively contain extra 28 nucleotides and 40 nucleotides insertion between the original position -56～-55. These nucleotides are the repeating sequences existing in the forward sense (original position -83～-56). In sequence YS242 1, there is a sequence containing 11 nuclotides (corresponding to the original position -76～-56) repeated twice. In addition, variations of the nucleotides among these sequen.