Relationship between hepatitis C virus genotypes and sources of infection in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

This study examined the relationships between hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes and the routes of HCV transmission in 101 patients with chronic hepatitis C. Patients who received blood transfusions (43%) and those with chronic hepatitis C of unknown cause (37%) had similar mean ages, age distribution, and HCV genotype distribution (1a, 19% vs. 14%; 1b, 52% vs. 54%; 3a, 10% vs. 9%; other, 19% vs. 23%). Intravenous drug users (IVDUs) were significantly younger and had a different genotype distribution (1a, 33%; 1b, 0; 3a, 63%; other, 5%; P < .001). Transmission of HCV 3a has been observed only over the past 20 years; other genotypes were transmitted up to 40 years ago. These results suggest that for 20 years there have been two independent ongoing hepatitis C epidemics. One affects persons who received blood transfusions or whose source of infection is unknown. These persons are older and are mainly infected by HCV 1b. The second type of infection occurs in IVDUs and infects younger persons, mainly with HCV 3a.

[1]  R. Purcell,et al.  Detection of antibody to hepatitis C virus in prospectively followed transfusion recipients with acute and chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis. , 1989, The New England journal of medicine.

[2]  The low risk of hepatitis C virus transmission among sexual partners of hepatitis C-infected hemophilic males: an international, multicenter study. , 1992 .

[3]  A. Muñoz,et al.  The declining risk of post-transfusion hepatitis C virus infection. , 1992, The New England journal of medicine.

[4]  L. Stuyver,et al.  Analysis of the putative E1 envelope and NS4a epitope regions of HCV type 3. , 1993, Biochemical and biophysical research communications.

[5]  S. Gordon,et al.  The pathology of hepatitis C as a function of mode of transmission: Blood transfusion vs. Intravenous drug use , 1993, Hepatology.

[6]  T. Date,et al.  Differences in the hepatitis C virus genotypes in different countries. , 1993, Journal of hepatology.

[7]  J. Pawlotsky,et al.  Lack of mother‐to‐infant transmission of hepatitis C virus in human immunodeficiency virus–seronegative women: A prospective study with hepatitis C virus RNA testing , 1993, Hepatology.

[8]  L. Stuyver,et al.  Typing of hepatitis C virus isolates and characterization of new subtypes using a line probe assay. , 1993, The Journal of general virology.

[9]  R H Purcell,et al.  At least 12 genotypes of hepatitis C virus predicted by sequence analysis of the putative E1 gene of isolates collected worldwide. , 1993, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[10]  J. Pawlotsky,et al.  Significance of highly positive c22-3 "indeterminate" second-generation hepatitis C virus (HCV) recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) and resolution by third-generation HCV RIBA , 1994, Journal of clinical microbiology.

[11]  E. Holmes,et al.  A proposed system for the nomenclature of hepatitis C viral genotypes , 1994, Hepatology.

[12]  S Sherlock,et al.  Hepatitis C virus genotypes: An investigation of type‐specific differences in geographic origin and disease , 1994, Hepatology.

[13]  L. Stuyver,et al.  Classification of hepatitis C viruses based on phylogenetic analysis of the envelope 1 and nonstructural 5B regions and identification of five additional subtypes. , 1994, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[14]  M. Sakamoto,et al.  Hepatitis C virus variants from Nepal with novel genotypes and their classification into the third major group. , 1994, The Journal of general virology.