Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection among intravenous drug users.
OBJECTIVE
The clinico-pathological features of hepatitis C virus infection in intravenous drug users are different from those found in other hepatitis C virus-infected patients. Our aim was to test whether specific viral variants circulate within this particular patient population.


METHODS
We studied the distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes in 90 drug addicts and 484 controls, according to the method described by Okamoto.


RESULTS
Hepatitis C virus type 1a and 3a infections were more frequent among intravenous drug users than in 125 age-matched controls (48.8% and 21.1% vs 17.6% and 11.2%), accounting for the majority of infections in intravenous drug users. Analysis of hepatitis C virus genotypes according to age showed that, in the general population, hepatitis C virus types 1a and 3a were more prevalent among patients younger than 40 years of age than in older individuals (17.6% and 11.2% vs 1.4% and 0.6%).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that hepatitis C virus types 1a and 3a were recently introduced in Italy, presumably via needle-sharing among intravenous drug users, and from this reservoir they are extending to the general population, particularly among younger subjects.
Silini
E
E
Department of Pathology, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
Bono
F
F
Cividini
A
A
Cerino
A
A
Maccabruni
A
A
Tinelli
C
C
Bruno
S
S
Bellobuono
A
A
Mondelli
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001483:Base Sequence; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology
D012367:RNA, Viral