title: Genotyping of hepatitis C virus isolates from Basque Country, Spain.
abstract: The genotype of HCV was determined in 161 chronic HCV-infected patients. The patients were classified into three groups on the basis of the origin of the HCV infection: 50 patients had a history of intravenous drug use (IVDU) but no HIV infection; 41 patients had received blood transfusions, and 70 patients had no known exposure. The distribution of HCV genotypes was associated with the origin of infection and age of patients: genotype 1b was predominant among patients who had received blood transfusions and those without evidence of parenteral exposure (84.6% and 67.7%, respectively), whereas genotype 3a was present in 65.3% of IVDUs. Patients with genotype 1b were older than those with genotypes 1a or 3a: 50.3 +/- 12 vs. 34.1 +/- 9.9 and 31 +/- 5.4 years, respectively. These findings suggest that the pattern of HCV genotypes in our region is changing and that genotype 1b may be substituted by 3a as the dominant genotype in the future.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Service and Infectious Epidemiology Unit, Hospital Nuestra Señora de Aránzazu, San Sebastián, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cilla
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García-Bengoechea
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perez-Trallero
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Montalvo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Arenas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013030:Spain; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction