HCV genotypes in Morocco

To determine the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes circulating in Morocco, virus isolates from 105 chronically infected and 19 hemodialysis patients were examined using the line probe assay. Genotypes 1 and 2 only were found among Moroccan patients. Subtypes 1b (47.6%) and 2a/2c (37.1%) were the most common, whereas subtype 1a (2.8%) was less common. Among the hemodialysis patients, only genotype 1 was found with a prevalence of 68.4% for subtype 1b and 15.8% for the subtype 1a. It was also shown that the HCV genotypes distribution varies with age in both studied populations. Subtype 1b was most prevalent among older patients, whereas subtype 2a/2c was mainly found among younger ones. Although Morocco belongs to the African continent, the circulating HCV strains are similar to those observed in some American and European 1997 countries. J. Med. Virol. 52:396–398, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Analysis of HCV genotypes from blood donors shows three new HCV type 6 subgroups exist in Myanmar

The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in Myanmar in comparison with the rest of Southeast Asia is not well known. Serum samples were obtained from 201 HCV antibody-positive volunteer blood donors in and around the Myanmar city of Yangon. Of these, the antibody titers of 101 samples were checked by serial dilution using HCV antibody PA test II and Terasaki microplate as a low-cost method. To compare antibody titers by this method and RNA identification, we also checked HCV-RNA using the Amplicor 2.0 test. Most high-titer groups were positive for HCV-RNA. Of the 201 samples, 110 were successfully polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified. Among them, 35 (31.8%) were of genotype 1, 52 (47.3%) were of genotype 3, and 23 (20.9%) were of type 6 variants, and phylogenetic analysis of these type 6 variants revealed that 3 new type 6 subgroups exist in Myanmar. We named the subgroups M6-1, M6-2, and M6-3. M6-1 and M6-2 were relatively close to types 8 and 9, respectively. M6-3, though only found in one sample, was a brand-new subgroup. These subtypes were not seen in Vietnam, where type 6 group variants are widely spread. These findings may be useful for analyzing how and when these subgroups were formed.     

云南省乙型肝炎病毒基因型和血清型的流行状况分析

目的了解云南省人群中流行的乙型肝炎病毒（Hepatitis B virus,HBV）基因型和血清型分布情况。方法从参加健康体检的人群中筛查HBsAg阳性的血清标本,利用巢式PCR扩增HBVS基因片段,并对扩增产物进行序列测定,从GenBank中查获A～I基因型共27株HBV参考序列,构建HBVS基因系统发生树,以此确定其样本的基因型及血清型,并对结果进行统计分析。结果从2216名体检人员血清标本中筛查出39份HBsAg阳性的样本,HBV的s基因序列分型结果表明有4种基因型：c型占76．9％,B型占15．4％;D型占5．1％;I型占2．5％。血清分型结果为：adw2型占71．8％;adrq‘型占17．9％;ayr型占10．3％。所有adw2血清型标本均为c基因型。HBsAg、HBeAg双阳性标本中75％为c基因型／adw2血清亚型。结论云南省HBV感染人群中HBV基因型的分布以C型为主,血清型以adw2型为主。     

不同感染途径慢性丙型肝炎患者HCV基因型分布的差异

目的 探讨丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)基因型在中国部分城市输血与非输血途径感染者之间的分布。方法 对来自中国南北地区9个城市的慢性HCV肝炎患者的血清，用5′非编码区酶切分型方法进行HCV基因分型，分析HCV基因型在不同地区和感染途径之间的分布差异。结果 在219例慢性HCV肝炎血清中，有214例(97．7％)检测出HCV基因型，其中197例为单基因型HCV感染，主要的HCV流行株为1b(76．64％)和2a(18．22％)，并有5．14％的患者感染基因3b型，且首次在中国检测出4a型。HCV在中国南北地区城市的分布差异无显著意义，但输血感染者和非输血感染者之间的HCV基因型分布差异有显著意义，输血感染者中，93．88％为单基因型HCV感染，1b占76．87％，高于非输血途径感染患者中单基因型HCV感染百分率(86．57％)和1b的感染百分率(58．21％)，非输血感染者中的混合HCV基因型比例(13．43％)高于输血感染者(6．12％)。结论 中国南北部分地区的HCV基因型分布差异无显著意义，但经输血感染和非输血感染的慢性丙型肝炎患者之间的HCV基因型分布差异有显著意义。     

云南省乙型肝炎病毒基因型和血清型的流行状况分析

目的 了解云南省人群中流行的乙型肝炎病毒(Hepatitis B virus,HBV)基因型和血清型分布情况.方法 从参加健康体检的人群中筛查HBsAg阳性的血清标本,利用巢式PCR扩增HBV S基因片段,并对扩增产物进行序列测定.从GenBank中查获A～I基因型共27株HBV参考序列,构建HBV S基因系统发生树,以此确定其样本的基因型及血清型,并对结果进行统计分析.结果 从2216名体检人员血清标本中筛查出 39份HBsAg阳性的样本,HBV的S基因序列分型结果表明有4种基因型:C型占76.9%,B型占15.4%;D型占5.1%;I型占2.5%.血清分型结果为:adw2型占71.8%;adrq+型占17.9%;ayt型占10.3%.所有adw2血清型标本均为C基因型.HBsAg、HBeAg双阳性标本中75%为C基因型/adw2血清亚型.结论 云南省HBV感染人群中HBV基因型的分布以C型为主,血清型以adw2型为主.     

云南省乙型肝炎病毒基因型和血清型的流行状况分析

目的 了解云南省人群中流行的乙型肝炎病毒(Hepatitis B virus,HBV)基因型和血清型分布情况.方法 从参加健康体检的人群中筛查HBsAg阳性的血清标本,利用巢式PCR扩增HBV S基因片段,并对扩增产物进行序列测定.从GenBank中查获A～I基因型共27株HBV参考序列,构建HBV S基因系统发生树,以此确定其样本的基因型及血清型,并对结果进行统计分析.结果 从2216名体检人员血清标本中筛查出 39份HBsAg阳性的样本,HBV的S基因序列分型结果表明有4种基因型:C型占76.9%,B型占15.4%;D型占5.1%;I型占2.5%.血清分型结果为:adw2型占71.8%;adrq+型占17.9%;ayt型占10.3%.所有adw2血清型标本均为C基因型.HBsAg、HBeAg双阳性标本中75%为C基因型/adw2血清亚型.结论 云南省HBV感染人群中HBV基因型的分布以C型为主,血清型以adw2型为主.     

Clinico-laboratory characteristics of viral hepatitis C with various HCV genotypes

Clinical and biochemical features of the acute phase of icteric hepatitis C in various HCV genotypes have been studied. The HCV genotypes determine the duration of incubation period and some clinical signs in the preicteric and icteric periods of acute hepatitis C. The biochemical picture and formation of chronic hepatitis virtually did not depend on the virus genotype.     

Influence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes on HCV recombinant immunoblot assay patterns.

Ninety-six patients with chronic hepatitis C were studied. A second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay detected anti-NS4 antibodies significantly more often in patients infected by hepatitis C virus genotype 1 than in patients infected by other types. By a third-generation recombinant immunoblot assay, the prevalences of the four antibodies measured did not differ according to the hepatitis C virus genotype.     

Relevance of RIBA-3 supplementary test to HCV PCR positivity and genotypes for HCV confirmation of blood donors

HCV antibody screening of 624,910 blood donations resulted in 3,832 samples being referred for confirmation. All were tested by RIBA-3 with 2,710 negative, 945 indeterminate and 177 positive results. HCV RNA was detected by PCR in an average of 69.5% of RIBA-3 positives (4 bands 84.1%; 3 bands 74.1%; 2 bands 34.1%) and only 0.53% of RIBA-3 indeterminates. Eighty-four percent of samples with a total RIBA-3 band intensity score (maximum 16) of ≥8 were PCR positive compared with only 22% of those with a score of <8. Total mean band intensities for HCV genotype 1 samples (n = 65) were 13.2, genotype 2 (n = 17) 11.4 and genotype 3 (n = 65) 11.2 with type 1 samples showing greater reactivity with c100 and c33 antibodies. No PCR positive type 1 samples were found with RIBA-3 total band scores less than 8, no PCR positive type 2 samples less than 6, whilst PCR positive type 3 samples were found with scores as low as 2. NS5 indeterminates were the most common (40.2%) single band pattern but yielded no PCR positive samples, followed by c33 (23.3%) with one PCR positive and c100 (20.2%) with one PCR positive whilst c22 indeterminates were least common (16.3%) but included three PCR positive donors. All five RIBA-3 indeterminate PCR positive donors were type 3. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Prevalence and common genotypes of HCV infection in Sudanese patients with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis

A cross-sectional hospital based study was carried out at the National Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease in Khartoum, Sudan to determine the prevalence, common genotypes and risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection in Sudanese patients with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. A total of 176 patients with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis were tested for HCV antibodies and 4.5% of the samples were reactive. PCR was positive in 2.3% of cases and genotype 4 was the major genotype isolated with subtypes 4, 4e, and 4c/4d. It is concluded that HCV was of low seroprevalence in the study population and that parenteral antischistosomal therapy was not a significant risk factor in transmission of infection in the Sudan.     

HCV genotypes and age distribution in patients of Vienna and surrounding areas.

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) can result in liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Determination of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype/subtype may be of prognostic value to estimate the risk of development of liver cirrhosis. OBJECTIVE: The HCV genotype/subtype was determined in patients with CHC and possible associations with age, source of HCV transmission, duration of HCV infection, and development of liver cirrhosis were investigated. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 250 consecutive patients with CHC were studied. HCV genotypes/subtypes were determined with a commercially available assay based on the reverse-hybridization principle. Source of HCV transmission and duration of HCV infection were taken from the patient documentation and liver cirrhosis was diagnosed by clinical, biochemical, and sonographic data. RESULTS: HCV genotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 were found in 74.8, 2.8, 16, 5.2, and 0.4% of the patients. Most frequent subtypes were 1b (54%), 1a (15.6%), and 3a (15.6%). Patients with genotype 1 (mean, 52.8 years) or 2 (mean, 51.0 years) were significantly older than patients with genotype 3 (mean, 37.2 years) or genotype 4 (mean, 37.2 years). Patients with subtype 1b (mean, 58.1 years) were significantly older than patients with subtype 1a (mean, 40.8 years) or 3a (mean, 37.5 years). The main sources of HCV infection were intravenous drug abuse in 30.0% of all patients (genotype 1 in 53.3%; genotype 3 in 40%) or transfusion of blood and blood products in 21.6% of all patients (genotype 1 in 83.4%). The source of transmission, however, remained unknown in 44.8% of all patients. The prevalence of genotype 1 was significantly higher in patients with long duration (more than 20 years) of CHC. In none of the patients with genotype 2 or 3, duration of CHC for more than 20 years was observed. The prevalence of genotype 4 was significantly higher in patients with short duration (less than 10 years) of CHC. Liver cirrhosis was diagnosed in 13.6% of all patients (97.1% of patients with genotype 1). Patients with liver cirrhosis were significantly older compared to asymptomatic patients (mean, 63.8 vs. 51.3 years). CONCLUSION: HCV subtype 1b was found to be the main subtype in the investigated population and is currently the major contributor to liver cirrhosis. Patients infected with subtype 1a, however, are at comparable risk for development of liver cirrhosis. In future, subtype 3a and genotype 4 may also become an increasing problem.     

HCV genotypes in Sicily: Is there any evidence of a shift?

The distribution of HCV strains in any area is characterized by a relative prevalence of one genotype, and a number of less prevalent types. In some Western countries a change from the prevalent HCV genotype 1 to genotypes 3 and 4 has been reported in the last decade. In order to assess possible variations of the distribution of HCV genotypes in Sicily, a southern region of Italy, a hospital‐based cohort, collected prospectively, of 3,209 subjects with chronic HCV infection was surveyed, comparing the distribution of HCV genotypes during two consecutive periods, from 1997 to 2002 and from 2003 to 2007, according to age and gender. The results show that genotype 1b, which has been historically the most prevalent in Sicily, is still predominant, followed more distantly by genotypes 2 and 3a. However, a cohort effect for these genotypes was seen when comparing the two time periods. Genotype 1b decreased slowly over the last decade, due to the death of the people infected, leading to a proportional increase of the other genotypes. No evidence was found in support of a major increase in the prevalence of other genotypes, such as genotype 4, in relation to migration patterns. J. Med. Virol. 81:1040–1046, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Changing HCV genotypes distribution in Poland--relation to source and time of infection.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the distribution of HCV genotypes has implications for prognosis and therapy of hepatitis C. OBJECTIVES: To describe the distribution of HCV genotypes in Poland in relation to route of transmission and year of infection. STUDY DESIGN: Patients with chronic liver disease were evaluated at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Bialystok (Poland). HCV genotype was determined by means of 5'UTR sequencing and comparison with known sequences of particular genotypes. RESULTS: The genotypes mostly frequently detected were genotype 1 (57.5%); genotype 3 (31.3%); and genotype 4 (8.4%). Genotype 1 constituted the majority of HCV infections caused by blood transfusion (68.8%) and only 34.8% of HCV infections in the intravenous drug use (IVDU) group (p<0.05). In contrast genotype 3 constituted the majority of HCV infections in the IVDU group (56.5%). We observed a significant increase in the proportion of genotype 3 infections detected after 2000--from 19.1% to 38.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The relative proportion of genotype 1b in Poland has decreased and that of genotype 3a has increased, especially among IVDU.     

Direct comparison of hepatitis C virus genotypes tested by INNO-LiPA HCV II and TRUGENE HCV genotyping methods.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. It is associated with the development of end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Studies have shown that patients infected with different genotypes of HCV may respond to interferon-ribavirin therapy differently and thus HCV genotype information is very important in helping physicians to better managing their patients. OBJECTIVES: Compare the end results of HCV typing of the two commercially available tests. STUDY DESIGN: TRUGENE Genotyping test (Visible Genetics) was used to analyze clinical specimens obtained from North America. The 5' NC was amplified with the Roche COBAS Amplicor HCV Monitor Test. Amplification products were blinded and genotyped by the TRUGENE HCV 5'NC method. Genotype results were compared with those obtained by the reverse hybridization based INNO-LiPA HCV II (Innogenetics) assay. Additional sequencing of the NS5B region was done to resolve discrepancies. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Among the total of 110 consecutively collected serum specimens submitted for HCV genotyping, 108/110 could be typed by the sequencing method and 107/110 were typable by LiPA HCV II method. Our experiences with the tests suggest that at type level, HCV genotype results are 100% concordant between the two tests studied for those 106 specimens successfully typed by both methods. More sensitive amplification, such as qualitative PCR, is needed to test specimens with viral load lower than 20000 IU/ml. Both tests can be easily adapted by a clinical diagnostic laboratory.     

Seroprevalence and molecular detection of hepatitis E virus in Yunnan Province, China

In this study, the prevalence and characteristics of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in pigs and the general population in the Yunnan province, China, were evaluated. Nine hundred sixty sera, 95 liver and 60 feces samples were randomly collected from pig farms and abattoirs, in addition 173 human sera were sampled in the provincial capital city for a serological survey and an RT-nPCR assay. The screening results showed that among 621 samples collected from five pig farms, the HEV-specific IgG positive rate ranged from 73.2% to 83.5%, and the overall seroprevalence was 78.9% (490/621). A further analysis revealed that the seroprevalence increased with age. The positive rate of human serum samples was 39.9% (69/173). HEV RNA was detected in five swine feces, six swine liver and one anti-HEV-IgM-positive human serum sample by RT-nPCR. Sequence and alignment of the 348-nt PCR-amplified products of 12 HEV strains identified nine distinct nucleotide sequences. Phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary analysis revealed that these nine sequences shared 84.2% to 100.0% nucleotide sequence identity with each other, with all isolates belonging to genotype 4 HEV and clustering with other Chinese swine and human HEV sequences determined earlier. This study results suggest that the prevalence of genotype 4 HEV is serious, both in pig herds and in the human population, and authorities should pay more attention to the prevalence of HEV in southwest China.     

广州无偿献血人群中丙型肝炎抗体阳性者HCV基因型与病毒载量的关系

目的:了解最新广州地区无偿献血人群丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)基因型与病毒载量的关联性。方法:收集2008～2011年广州地区无偿献血人群中抗-HCV阳性标本605份,采用荧光定量PCR(Q-PCR)的方法对其进行核酸及病毒载量检测,阳性标本作NS5B基因扩增;核苷酸序列测定后运用DNASTAR、BioEdit和Mega4.0等软件作序列分析和基因分型,采用SPSS16.0软件对病毒载量与基因型(亚型)的关联性进行分析。结果:337份HCV RNA阳性的标本扩增出NS5B基因320份,HCV 1b、6a、3a、2a、3b、1a、6n比例依次为45.00%、33.44%、8.75%、7.81%、4.38%、0.31%和0.31%。HCV1b与2a、3a、6a、6a与2a、3a之间病毒载量存在显著差异:HCVba病毒载量高于2a、3a和6a,HCV6a病毒载量高于2a和3a。结论:广州地区无偿献血人群中HCV1b和6a为主要亚型且其病毒载量高于其他亚型。