title: Frequency distribution of HCV genotypes among chronic hepatitis C patients of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) genotypes frequency is important for the predication of response to therapy and duration of treatment. Despite variable response rates experienced in the case of Interferon (IFN) -based therapies, there was scarcity of data on HCV genotypes frequency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 200 blood samples were collected from chronic HCV patients prior to the initiation of anti-viral therapy. The study population included patients from 6 districts of KPK. Active HCV infection was confirmed in case of all the patients by real time PCR. HCV genotypes were determined in each case by Type-specific PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis revealed that out of 200 PCR positive samples; 78 (39%) were 2a, 62 (31%) were 3a, 16 (8%) were 3b, 34 (17%) were untypable while 1a, 2b and 1b were 3 (1.5%), 2 (1%) and 5 (2.5%), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Genotype determination is not carried out prior to therapy in KPK. Although, the abundantly prevalent types (2a and 3a) of HCV in KPK are susceptible to combination therapy, yet resistance experienced in some of the chronic HCV patients may partly be attributed to the prevalence of less prevalent resistant genotypes (1a, 1b) of HCV among the population.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sajid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Ijaz
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Sadiq
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Azam
authors.forename: Bashir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ahmad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral