Analysis on hepatitis C virus genotype and quasispecies in Yixing area

  Objective   To investigate the distribution of hepatitis C virus(HCV)genotypes and HCV quasispecies diversity in Yixing, Jiangsu province.

  Methods   To identify the genotype of sera samples obtained from 163 donors who anti-HCV positive by the PCR with type specific primer, which were designed according to the sequence of 5cono-coding region(5'NCR). Genotypes distribution was investigated in patients with different sex, different ages and different kinds hepatitis C. To compare the HCV quasispecies diversity among the 43 patients with chronic hepatitis C.

  Results   Of total 166 patients, 102 were HCV RNA positive in which 86 patients had genotype 1b(86/102;84.3%), 5 patients had genotype 2(6/102;5.9%), 5 patients was 1b/2 mixed types(5/102;4.9%)and genotype could not be determined in 5 patients. Distribution difference of HCV genotypes was found between female patients and male ones. The difference of HCV quasispecies diversity was found between the patients with normal or abnormal alanine transaminase(ALT).

  Conclusion   Type 1b is predominant HCV genotype in Yixing area. Mix-infection rate is higher in females than that in males. Quasispecies diversity is corrected with ALT.