title: Hepatitis C virus serotypes and sources of infection in patients with HCV-related chronic liver disease from one geographical area in southeast Italy.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus serotypes and sources of infection in HCV-positive patients from a restricted geographical area were evaluated. HCV serotypes were determined by Murex serotyping assay. Of 192 samples, serotypes were detected in 189 (98.5%): type 1 proved to be the most common (53.1%), followed by types 2 (15.2%), 3 (6.2%), 6 (5.3%), 4 (3.6%) and 5 (1.6%). Intravenous drug users were significantly younger than the rest of the patients and infected mainly with HCV type 3. Transmission of HCV 3 has only been observed over the past 20 years; other types have been transmitted for up to 40 years. These results support the view that the prevalence of the infection by different HCV types in one restricted geographical area may be associated with the source and duration of infection.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Internal Medicine, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dentico
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Curatolo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ranieri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Genchi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Petracca
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buongiorno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012703:Serotyping; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications; D065227:Transfusion Reaction