Prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection in HIV infected individuals in south India and characterization of HCV genotypes.
OBJECTIVE
To determine anti-HCV antibodies and genomic subtype of HCV in 1487 confirmed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive samples.


METHODS
A total of 1487 confirmed HIV-positive samples were tested for anti-HCV antibodies by using a third generation ELISA kit (Ortho 3.0) and by RT PCR for HCV. HIV and HCV coinfected samples were selected for HCV genotyping by RFLP and subtyping with NS5-type specific primers.


RESULTS
A total of 1487 HIV-infected serum samples were screened for HCV infection, of which, a 1443 (97.04%) were negative and 45 (3.02%) were coinfected. HIV-HCV coinfection was predominant in the age group 41-50 years (51.1%). HCV genotyping and subtyping was done for the 45 HCV RNA-positive specimens of which genotype 1 was observed in 31 (68.8%) and genotype 3 was observed in 14 (31.1%) subjects. Further subtyping analysis showed the genotype 1b in 23 (51.1%), 1a in eight (17.7%), 3a in 10 (22.2%) and 3b in four (8.8%) subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
HIV and HCV seroprevalence is higher in South India, and the most prevalent genotype in coinfection was genotype 1b.
Ponamgi
S P D
SP
Center for Liver Research and Diagnostics, Deccan College of Medical Sciences and Allied Hospitals, Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad-500 058, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Rahamathulla
S
S
Kumar
Y N
YN
Chandra
M
M
Lakshmi
N
N
Habibullah
C M
CM
Khaja
M N
MN
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015897:Comorbidity; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C087036:NS-5 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase