Genomic and phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis C virus isolates from argentine patients: a six-year retrospective...

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Infectious Diseases
• Molecular Epidemiology

Background:

• Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a significant global health concern.
• Understanding HCV subtype distribution is crucial for effective treatment and prevention strategies.
• Previous characterization of HCV subtypes in Argentina is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of different hepatitis C virus (HCV) subtypes in a cohort of Argentine patients.
• To investigate the occurrence of mixed HCV infections within this population.
• To establish the phylogenetic relatedness of HCV isolates.

Main Methods:

• HCV typing was performed on 243 Argentine patients using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).
• HCV RNA genomes were analyzed to assign subtypes and clades.
• Phylogenetic analysis was conducted on sequences from the 5' untranslated region and nonstructural 5B coding region.

Main Results:

• HCV isolates were classified into clade 1 (53.5%), clade 2 (23.0%), and clade 3 (8.6%).
• Mixed HCV infections were detected in 14.8% of patients, often involving different subtypes within the same clade.
• Phylogenetic analysis provided further insights into the relationships between viral sequences.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a comprehensive overview of HCV subtype distribution in Argentina.
• The high prevalence of clade 1 and the frequency of mixed infections highlight the complexity of HCV epidemiology in the region.
• Molecular methods like RFLP and sequencing are valuable tools for characterizing HCV isolates.