title: Markers of hepatitis C and B virus infections among blood donors in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Vietnam.
abstract: Blood donors in two cities in Vietnam were tested for markers of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus infections. Antibody to HCV was detected by passive hemagglutination with antigens of the second generation in 101 (20.6%) of 491 donors in Ho Chi Minh City; it was detected less frequently (P < 0.001) in donors in hanoi (4 [0.8%] of 499). HCV RNA was tested for in donors with antibody by PCR with nested primers from the 5'-noncoding region and detected in 79 donors in Ho Chi Minh City and 4 donors in Hanoi. HCV RNA was genotyped by PCR with type-specific primers from the core gene. Of 83 HCV carriers from Vietnam, 24 (29%) were infected with HCV of genotype I/1a 19 (23%) were infected with II/1b, 4 (5%) were infected with III/2a, and 2 (2%) were infected with mixed genotypes (I/1a and II/1b); HCV genotypes in the remaining 34 (41%) donors, including all 4 donors in Hanoi, were not classifiable into I/1a, II/2a, IV/2b, or V/3a. Of the 10 isolates with unclassifiable genotypes, 2 showed substantial sequence divergence within the 5'-noncoding region from reported isolates with known genotypes (I/1a to 6a). An analysis of part of the core gene sequence indicated that six of the remaining isolates most likely represented new HCV genotypes. Hepatitis B surface antigen and the corresponding antibody, respectively, were detected in 15 (3.1%) and 234 (47.7%) donors in Ho Chi Minh City as well as 15 (3.0%) and 248 (49.7%) donors in Hanoi. These results indicate an extensive spread of HCV among Ho Chi Minh City donors and HCV of novel genotypes in vietnam.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Research in Tropical Medicine, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Duc
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hien
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chosa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens