title: Hepatitis C virus genotypes: epidemiological and clinical associations. Benelux Study Group on Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C.
abstract: In a cohort of 292 chronic hepatitis C patients living in the Benelux countries the relationship between viral genotype and geographical origin, route of transmission, clinical characteristics and severity of liver disease was analyzed. HCV-RNA isolates could be classified by the Line Probe Assay (LiPA) as 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4 or 5 in 286 (98%) cases. Patients of European origin were predominantly infected with HCV subtype 1b (164/254, 65%, CI 58-70%), as were patients of Asian origin (7/13, 54%). Patients originating from Surinam (South America) had predominantly type 2 (9/10, 90%), whereas Africans were mainly infected with type 4 (7/9, 77%). Blood transfusion was the mode of transmission in 142 (50%) patients, intravenous drug abuse (IVDA) in 40 (14%), occupational needle accident or tattoo in 11 (4%); no obvious source of infection was found in 93 (33%). In patients infected by blood transfusion, subtype 1b was predominant (70%, CI 61-77%), whereas subtypes la and 3 were predominant in those infected by IVDA (25% and 45%, respectively, p<0.001). Cirrhosis was observed in 68 (24%) patients; in multivariate analysis, factors independently related to cirrhosis were: the duration of infection, age and prior hepatitis B. No significant relationship was found between the severity of fibrosis or liver inflammation and the HCV (sub)types. In summary, in this large cohort of patients in the Benelux countries the hepatitis C virus (sub)type present was clearly related to the country of origin and the route of transmission, but not to the severity of liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Virology, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kleter
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Brouwer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nevens
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: van Doorn
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elewaut
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Versieck
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Michielsen
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hautekeete
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Chamuleau
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brénard
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Quint
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bronkhorst
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Heijtink
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Hop
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fevery
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Schalm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005814:Genes, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D013020:South America / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase