title: Molecular epidemiology of the hepatitis C virus in Western Siberia.
abstract: Western Siberia is the region with little information on the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, genotypic diversity of HCV isolates and risk factors. A molecular epidemiological survey was conducted to clarify these issues. Four groups of volunteers were included in a cross-sectional study (n = 500 in each group): health care workers; daycare patients from a hospital for drug users, daycare patients from an AIDS prevention and control center; and persons admitted to a local general practice clinic for any reason (outpatients). The anti-HCV IgG prevalence was 4.6% in health care workers, 48.0% in a narcological center, 35.8% in AIDS center, and 5.6% in outpatients. HCV RNA was found in 79.3%-86.3% of seropositives. A total of 388 HCV isolates were genotyped by direct sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the 5'-UTR and NS5B regions of HCV genome. The genotypes distribution was: 1b--50.3%, 2a--4.4%, 2c--0.3%, 3a--44.8%. One isolate (0.3%) could not be typed unambiguously. This genotypic diversity is intermediate between that of European Russia and China. Genotype 1 prevailed in an older age group (75% among 51-60 years old), and genotype 3 was most prevalent in young people (51.4% in 16-20 years old). A statistically significant (P < 0.05) increase in risk was found in intravenous drug users (odds ratio (OR) = 77.5), unemployed persons (OR = 16.3), persons having >4 sexual partners during lifetime (OR = 4.3), and male homosexuals (OR = 6.6).
authors.affiliation: State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk region, Russia. avshusto@utmb.edu
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Shustov
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Kochneva
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Sivolobova
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Grazhdantseva
authors.forename: I V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Gavrilova
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Akinfeeva
authors.forename: I G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Rakova
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Aleshina
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Bukin
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Orlovsky
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Bespalov
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Netesov
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D012800:Siberia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral