Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 7 4 2015 11 06 214 220 EN Fatemeh Ramezani Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory-Department of Virology-School of Public Health-Tehran Uni- versity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Seyed Moayed Alavian Middle East Liver Diseases Center (MELD Centers), Tehran, Iran. Ahmadreza Sadeghi Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory-Department of Virology-School of Public Health-Tehran Uni- versity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Abolfazl Khedive Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory-Department of Virology-School of Public Health-Tehran Uni- versity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Leila Ghalichi Mental health research center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mehdi Norouzi Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory-Department of Virology-School of Public Health-Tehran Uni- versity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Hadi Karimzadeh Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory-Department of Virology-School of Public Health-Tehran Uni- versity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Reza Malekzadeh Digestive Disease Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Ghodrat Montazeri Digestive Disease Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Azim Nejatizadeh Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran. Masood Ziaee Hepatitis Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran. Farshid Abedi Department of Infectious Disease, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Behrooz Ataei Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Majid Yaran Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Babak Sayad Kermanshah Liver Diseases and Hepatitis Research Center, Kermanshah, Iran. Mohamad Hosein Somi Liver and Gastrointestinal Disease Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Gholamreza Sarizadeh Educational Region of Khozestan Blood Transfusion Organization, Ahvaz, Iran. Ismail Sanei-Moghaddam Department of Gastroenterology, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. Fariborz Mansour-Ghanaei Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran. Houshang Rafatpanah Immunology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Hossein Keyvani Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Ebrahim Kalantari Gholhack medical laboratory Tehran, Iran. Mehdi Saberfiroozi Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Reza Rezaee Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Deputy of Curative Affairs, Budget Administration, Tehran, Iran. Maryam Daram Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory-Department of Virology-School of Public Health-Tehran Uni- versity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mostafa Mahabadi Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory-Department of Virology-School of Public Health-Tehran Uni- versity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Zahra Goodarzi Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory-Department of Virology-School of Public Health-Tehran Uni- versity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Vahdat Poortahmasebi Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory-Department of Virology-School of Public Health-Tehran Uni- versity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Babak Geravand Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Deputy of Curative Affairs, Budget Administration, Tehran, Iran. Azam Khamseh Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory-Department of Virology-School of Public Health-Tehran Uni- versity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Masoud Mahmoodi Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory-Department of Virology-School of Public Health-Tehran Uni- versity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Seyed Mohammad Jazayeri Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory-Department of Virology-School of Public Health-Tehran Uni- versity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2015 11 06 Background and Objectives:  Iranian chronic HBV carrier’s population has shown a unique pattern of genotype D distri- bution all around the country. The aim of this study was to explore more details of evolutionary history of carriers based on structural surface proteins from different provinces. Materials and Methods: Sera obtained from 360 isolates from 12 Different regions of country were used for amplificationand sequencing of surface proteins. A detailed mutational analysis was undertaken. Results: The total ratio for Missense/Silent nucleotide substitutions was 0.96. Sistan and Kermanshah showed the lowest rate of evolution between provinces (P = 0.055). On the other hand, Khorasan Razavi and Khoozestan contained the highest ratio (P = 0.055). The rest of regions were laid between these two extremes. Azarbayjan and Guilan showed the highest proportion of immune epitope distribution (91.3% and 96%, respectively). Conversely, Sistan and Tehran harbored the least percentage (66.6% and 68.8%, respectively). Kermanshah province contained only 5.2%, whereas Isfahan had 54.5% of B cell epitope distribution. In terms of T helper epitopes, all provinces showed a somehow homogeneity: 22.58% (Fars) to 46.6% (Khuz- estan). On the other hand, distribution of substitutions within the CTL epitopes showed a wide range of variation between 6.6% (Khuzestan) and 63% (Kermanshah). Conclusion: Further to low selection pressure found in Iranian population, the variations between different regions designate random genetic drift within the surface proteins. These finding would have some applications in terms of specific antiviral regimen, design of more efficient vaccine and public health issues. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/785 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/785/518