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Molecular characterization of hepatitis C virus genotype 6 subtypes in Thai blood donors
Anchalee Sistayanarain1, Suriya Chaiwong2
1Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand.
Insights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 6 is increasingly found in Thailand. Subtype 6f is most common in Thai blood donors, with significant core protein variations observed among subtypes.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Epidemiology
- Genetics
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype is crucial for treatment selection, disease severity assessment, and transmission tracking.
- In Thailand, HCV genotypes 1 and 3 are prevalent, with a noted increase in genotype 6.
- Limited epidemiological data exists for HCV genotype 6 in Thailand.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 6 in apparently healthy Thai blood donors.
- To identify the most common subtypes of HCV genotype 6 in this population.
- To investigate amino acid polymorphism within the core region of different HCV genotype 6 subtypes.
Main Methods:
- Collected 240 blood samples from Phitsanulok Regional Blood Center, Thailand.
- Utilized nested polymerase chain reaction for RNA amplification and direct sequencing for HCV genotyping.
- Performed phylogenetic tree analysis of core sequences to determine HCV genotype and subtypes.
Main Results:
- Successfully sequenced 192 samples; 84 were identified as HCV genotype 6.
- The most prevalent HCV-6 subtypes identified were 6f, 6n, 6c, and 6i.
- Amino acid sequences in the core region varied by one to seven residues among these subtypes.
Conclusions:
- HCV subtype 6f is common among Thai blood donors.
- Substantial polymorphisms exist in the core protein of various HCV-6 subtypes.
- These genetic variations may inform future studies and genotype-specific therapy development.
Background:
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype is important for identifying effective antiviral therapy, evaluating pathogenic severity, and tracking transmission routes. In Thailand, HCV genotypes 3 and 1 are the most common. We have previously demonstrated an increasing appearance of genotype 6 in HCV infections in Thailand. However, only limited epidemiological data on genotype 6 in Thailand are available. This study aimed to characterize HCV genotype 6 among apparently healthy Thai blood donors.
Methods:
In total, 240 blood samples were collected from Phitsanulok Regional Blood Center, Phitsanulok, Thailand. RNA was reverse transcribed and amplified by the nested polymerase chain reaction. HCV genotyping was performed by direct sequencing and phylogenetic tree analysis of core sequences. Amino acid polymorphism of various subtypes of HCV genotype 6 was investigated.
Results:
Of the 240 samples, 192 were successfully sequenced for the core region and 84 were determined to be of HCV genotype 6 by phylogenetic analysis. The most prevalent HCV-6 subtypes were 6f > 6n > 6c > 6i. Amino acid sequences of the partial core region among these four subtypes differed by one to seven residues.
Conclusion:
For HCV-6, the subtype 6f was commonly found in Thai blood donors. Comparison of core protein from various HCV-6 subtypes showed substantial polymorphisms, which may form the basis of future studies using samples from patients with clear HCV histories. This feature can be applied to therapies tailored to particular genotype variants.
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