title: Distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes in Slovenia.
abstract: To determine the prevalence of HCV genotypes in Slovenia, 203 subjects infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) were studied using the Inno-Lipa HCV II assay (Innogenetics, Belgium). Of 21 patients infected by blood transfusion 19% had HCV subtype 1a, 81% had subtype 1b, and none of them was infected with genotype 3. In chronic hepatitis C patients infected by unknown cause subtype 1b was the most prevalent (54.4%), followed by subtype 1a (24.6%), genotype 3 (15.8%) and genotype 2 (5.2%). Genotype 3 (45.9%) and subtype 1a (43.2%) predominated among 74 intravenous drug users. In 37 haemodialysis patients genotypes 1 and 2 were almost equally frequent (40.5% and 37.8%, respectively), followed by genotype 3 (21.6%). Significant differences in HCV genotype distribution among distinct epidemiological groups observed in Slovenia indicate a close relationship between certain HCV genotypes and particular routes of viral transmission.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seme
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poljak
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lesnicar
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brinovec
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stepec
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koren
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D017524:Slovenia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral