[Study on the distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes in patients visiting one methadone maintenance clinic in Wuhan].
OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and characteristics on molecular biology related to HCV among patients who were enrolled in a Methadone maintenance clinic in Wuhan.


METHODS
Serum samples from 332 injection drug users (IDUs) were obtained and anti-HCV IgG was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbrent assay(ELISA), together with 86 anti-HCV positive specimens genotyped. A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-nPCR) assay using conserved primers deduced from the core-envelopel (C-E1) region of the HCV genome was employed to amplify a 474 bp fragment. Phylogenetic analysis of the C-E1 sequences was conducted by direct sequencing of the RT-nPCR products and alignment with determined by nucleotide sequencing followed by composition of a phylogenetic tree.


RESULTS
There were 313 cases (94.3%) appeared positive anti-HCV IgG in the 332 patients from a Methadone maintenance clinic in Wuhan. It was demonstrated that there were four different subtypes of HCV in that clinic in Wuhan, including 6a--71 cases (82.5%), 3b--7 cases (8.2%), 1a--5 cases (5.8%) and 1b--3 cases (3.5%).


CONCLUSIONS
Infection of 6a genotype HCV was predominant in patients from the Methadone maintenance clinic in Wuhan, followed by HCV 3b, 1a and 1b.
Peng
Jin-Song
JS
Tongji Medical College, Hua Zhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
Zhou
Dun-Jin
DJ
Pei
De-En
DE
Zhou
Yu
Y
Liu
Man-Qing
MQ
Tang
Li
L
Xu
Jun
J
Wu
Xiong-Wen
XW
Huo
Wen-Zhe
WZ
Zhou
Wang
W
D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000534:rehabilitation; D055815:Young Adult
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D008691:Methadone