title: Prevalence of hepatitis C virus isolate genotypes from chronically infected Lebanese patients: a hospital-based study.
abstract: To assess percentages of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in infected Lebanese patients referred to St. George Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon, 77 infected cases were studied. Of those, 27 were hemodialysis patients. Genotyping was performed by nested PCR of the HCV core-region with specific primers, followed by DNA enzyme-immunoassay using HCV type and subtype-specific probes. Single genotype infections were detected in 52 patients (67.5%). In these cases, types 1, 2, 3 and 4 were detected in 19.5%, 32.5%, 5.1% and 10.4% of the cases respectively. Twenty-five (32.5%) samples showed mixed genotype infections. Single genotype distribution was significantly different among dialysis and non-dialysis patients. In the dialysis group, genotype 2 was predominant (80%, p < 0.001). In single HCV genotype-infected patients, subtype 1b was frequently detected in nondialysis cases (34.4%) whereas this genotype was found in only 5% of dialysis cases. Genotypes 5 and 6 were not detected in any of the cases studied. This pilot hospital-based study provides evidence for the diversity of HCV genotypes in the Lebanese population and establishes differences in distribution depending on the risk group.
authors.affiliation: St. George Hospital, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Beirut, Lebanon. nahakimeh@stgeorgehospital.org
authors.forename: Noha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Irani-Hakime
authors.forename: Hanady
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Samaha
authors.forename: Wassim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Almawi
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nasr
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mokhbat
authors.forename: Maroun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abou Jaoude
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Daccache
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rahal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007861:Lebanon; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D006435:Renal Dialysis