Molecular epidemiology of HCV genotypes among injection drug users in Taiwan: Full-length sequences of two new subtype 6w strains and a recombinant form_2b6w.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) circulating recombinant form (CRF) 07_BC strain has caused serious outbreaks among injection drug users in Taiwan since 2004. The objective of this study was to conduct a molecular epidemiological study of HCV genotypes in intravenous drug users in Taiwan. Blood samples and questionnaires from 591 intravenous drug users infected with HIV-1 were collected nationwide. In total, 180 samples were selected for HCV genotyping using multiplex PCR and phylogenetic analysis of the core, E1 and NS5B regions. The Inno-Lipa assay was used to confirm multiple infections with different genotypes. Eighty percent had a single infection with subtype 1b being the most common subtype (24%), 12% had double infections and two had triple infections. In addition, three recombinant forms (RFs)-2a1a, 3a1b, and 2b6w were identified. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the 3a, 6a, and 6n strains were clustered with strains present in Thailand and mainland China. Full-length sequence analysis showed that two 6w strains shared 89.4-90.2% sequence homology with the 6(r) strain from the Guangdong Province, China. Bootscan analysis revealed that the recombination breakpoint of RF_2b6w was located at the NS2-NS3 junction. In summary, the distribution of HCV genotypes among Taiwanese intravenous drug users was complex and more than 12% of the drug users were infected with more than one genotype of HCV.
Lee
Yuan-Ming
YM
AIDS Prevention and Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Lin
Huang-Jie
HJ
Chen
Yen-Ju
YJ
Lee
Cheng-Ming
CM
Wang
Sheng-Fan
SF
Chang
Kai-Yuan
KY
Chen
Tzu-Lang
TL
Liu
Hsin-Fu
HF
Chen
Yi-Ming Arthur
YM
D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology