HCV genotypes in Northern Italy: a survey of 1368 histologically proven chronic hepatitis C patients

doi:10.1016/S0168-8278(98)80249-3

Journal of Hepatology

Volume 29, Issue 5, November 1998, Pages 701-706

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-8278(98)80249-3 Get rights and content

Abstract

Background/Aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) easily undergoes genomic changes, thus accounting for the presence of different genotypes, with different geographic distributions and different outcomes of chronic hepatitis. Type 1b is frequently found in advanced diseases; however, since this genotype is the most prevalent in older patients, the association with advanced age and severity of the disease is confounding. The aim of this study was to assess changes in the prevalence of HCV genotypes by surveying a large population of chronic hepatitis C patients in Northern Italy, and to assess if the high prevalence of genotye 1b in older patients with advanced diseases simply reflects the duration of HCV infection, rather than intrinsic biological properties of HCV.

Methods: We studied 1368 HCV-RNA positive patients, with histologically proven chronic hepatitis. Drug addiction, blood transfusions and sporadically acquired infections represented the risk factors

Results: Genotype 1b, the most prevalent isolate, and genotype 2a were associated with older age, cirrhosis, sporadically-acquired infections and blood transfusion, while types 1a, 3a, and 4 were associated with younger age, chronic persistent hepatitis and drug addiction. Patients with a history of transfusion were divided into four groups depending on the period of transfusion. The prevalence of genotype 1b decreased with time. Type 3a appeared only after 1979.

Conclusions: The severity of chronic hepatitis C could be related more to the duration of the infection rather than to the intrinsic pathogenicity of HCV genotypes

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HCV genotypes in Northern Italy: a survey of 1368 histologically proven chronic hepatitis C patients

Abstract

J Hepatol

Gastroenterology

Hepatology

Gastroenterology

J Hepatol

Lancet

J Hepatol

J Hepatol

J Hepatol

J Hepatol

Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology

Isolation of cDNA clone derived from a blood borne non A, non B viral hepatitis genome

Science

The incidence and the risk factors of community-acquired hepatitis C in a cohort of Italian blood donors

Hepatology

Mode of hepatitis C virus infection, epidemiology, and chroncity rate in general population and risk groups

Dig Dis Sci

Epidemiology of hepatitis C

Eur J Gastroenterol-Hepatol

Gene mapping of the putative structural region of the hepatitis C virus genome by in vitro processing analysis

Proc Natl Acad Sci USA

Expresion and identification of hepatitis C virus polyprotein cleavage products

J Virol

Sequence variation in the large envelope glycoprotein (E2/NS1) of hepatitis C virus during chronic infection

J Infect Dis

Genetic heterogeneity of hepatitis C virus: quasispecies and genotypes

Semin Liver Dis

Hepatitis C virus type 1b(II) infection in France and Italy

Ann Intern Med

Hepatitis C virus genotypes in the United States: epidemiology, pathogenicity, and response to interferon therapy

Ann Intern Med

Hepatitis C virus: epidemiology and geno-types in the North-East of England

Gut