title: Distribution of hepatitis C virus genotype in Iranian multiply transfused patients with thalassemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the most common transfusion-transmitted disease in multiply transfused patients worldwide. In this study, the aim was to investigate distribution of HCV genotypes in Iranian patients with thalassemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were received from 280 multiply transfused patients with thalassemia with chronic hepatitis C who were referred to us to start pegylated interferon-alpha plus ribavirin for duration of 48 weeks. HCV RNA viral load was detected using Amplicor test (Version 2, Roche Molecular Systems). Genotyping was performed by genotype-specific primers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HCV genotype distribution was 1 in 57%, 3 in 35%, 2 in 1%, and mixed in 4% (1 + 3 in 2.8%, 3 + 4 in 0.4%, mixed subtypes in 0.8%) cases. A total of 2.5% of isolates were nontypable. Genotype 1 was associated with higher rate of splenectomy and greater serum ferritin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Genotype 1 is the most frequently detected HCV genotype in Iranian patients with thalassemia and might cause more need for splenectomy and more severe iron overloading. Higher HCV viral load could be regarded as another risk factor for greater iron overloading.
authors.affiliation: Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Baqiyatallah Hospital, Tehran, Iran. editor@hepmon.com
authors.forename: Seyed-Moayed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Alavian
authors.forename: Seyyed Mohammad
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Miri
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keshvari
authors.forename: Pegah Karimi
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Elizee
authors.forename: Bita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Behnava
authors.forename: Seyed-Vahid
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Tabatabaei
authors.forename: Kamran Bagheri
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Lankarani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D055815:Young Adult