title: Hepatitis C virus genotype 5 in southern belgium: epidemiological characteristics and response to therapy.
abstract: Data are scarce on patients infected with hepatitis C virus of genotype 5, due to the low prevalence of this genotype around the world. To better define the characteristics of these patients, we reviewed the files of 16 genotype 5 patients. Mean age was 38 +/- 14. All patients were of European origin. Most of them (75%) had been contaminated by transfusion within a short time period (between 1980 and 1991). There were no intravenous drug addicts. Seven patients received treatment. One patient did not respond to interferon (IFN) monotherapy. Of four patients treated with IFN and ribavirin, three became sustained viral responders. Two patients treated with pegylated IFN and ribavirin became sustained viral responders. In our region, genotype 5 patients seem to have been contaminated within a relatively short time period. Treatment with IFN or pegylated IFN and ribavirin gave a high rate (83%) of sustained viral responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepato-Gastroenterology, CHU Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium. Jean.delwaide@chu.ulg.ac.be
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delwaide
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gerard
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reenaers
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vaira
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bastens
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bataille
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Servais
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Belaiche
authors.forename: Groupe Liegeois D'etudes Des Virus
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Hepatotropes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012254:Ribavirin