[Prevalence of hepatitis C virus genotypes in the area of El Ferrol (La Coruña, Spain)].
BACKGROUND
To determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in the area of El Ferrol, as well as their distribution according to risk factors.


METHODS
A total of 479 patients with hepatitis C were studied, including 254 with no known risk factors, 161 intravenous drug abusers (IVDA) and 64 with a history of blood transfusions. The presence of HCV RNA was studied by RT-PCR, and a reverse hybridization method (INNO-LiPA) was used for genotyping.


RESULTS
Genotype distribution was as follows: 1b, 269 (56.2%); 1a, 79 (16.5%); 3a, 59 (12.3%); 4c/4d, 35 (7.3%); 1, 19 (4.0%); 2a/2c, 3 (0.6%); 4, 3 (0.6%); 2b, 2 (0.4%). In 10 patients (2.1%) genotype could not be determined. In patients with no known risk factor, the predominant genotype was 1b, detected in 191 of the 254 patients in this group (75.2%). Distribution of genotypes was more varied in the IVDA group, with the most frequent being 1a in 49 (30.4%) and 3a in 43 (26.7%). In the 64 patients who had received transfusions, 1b was predominant, detected in 54 of 64 patients (84.4%).


CONCLUSIONS
The predominant HCV genotype in our area is 1b. Differences in genotype distribution were observed in the population groups studied, according to their underlying risk factors.
Touceda
Sonia
S
Servicio de Microbiología. Complejo Hospitalario Arquitecto Marcide Profesor Novoa Santos. El Ferrol. La Coruña. Spain.
Pereira
Mercedes
M
Agulla
Andrés
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral