title: Assessment of hepatitis C virus RNA and genotype from 6807 patients with chronic hepatitis C in the United States.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA status and HCV genotype have become important tools in the diagnosis and monitoring of therapy in chronic HCV infection. To establish a database with respect to HCV genotype and serum HCV RNA concentrations in chronic hepatitis C patients in the United States, we analysed 6807 chronic hepatitis C patients who had HCV RNA and HCV genotype tests conducted at a central laboratory. The HCV RNA concentration cut-off for the lower 25th percentile of this population (low titre) was 0.9 x 106 copies ml-1. The median HCV RNA concentration was 3.5 x 106 copies ml-1 and the cut-off for the upper 25th percentile (high titre) was 5 x 106 copies ml-1. Male patients had a median HCV RNA concentration of 3.9 x 106 copies ml-1, which was significantly higher than the median HCV RNA level for females (2.75 x 106 copies ml-1; P < 0.001). HCV genotype 1 was detected in 73% of patients; genotype 2 in 14%; genotype 3 in 8%; mixed genotype in 4%; and genotypes 4, 5 and 6 with a frequency of < 1%. Patients from the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest had significantly (P < 0.001) more infections with genotype 1 than patients from the Western and Southern regions. African-American patients were more likely to be infected with genotype 1 when compared with Caucasian, Hispanic or Asian Pacific Islanders (P < 0.001). Patients infected with HCV genotype 1 and mixed HCV genotypes had significantly higher serum HCV RNA concentrations when compared with HCV genotypes 2 and 3 (P < 0.001 for all comparisons).
authors.affiliation: National Genetics Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Blatt
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Mutchnick
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Klion
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lebovics
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Freilich
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tobias
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conrad
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: McHutchison
mesh_terms: D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014481:United States; D019562:Viral Load; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral