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Correlation Study Between HCV Genotypes Distribution Pattern and Viral Load in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kolkata,
Debojyoti Bhattacharjee1, Kheya Mukherjee2, Goutam Chakroborti3
1Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Calcutta National Medical College , 32, Gorachand Road, Kolkata, West Bengal, India .
Insights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3a was most prevalent in this Indian study. Viral load did not significantly differ across genotypes 1a, 3a, and 3b in chronic hepatitis C patients.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a primary cause of chronic liver disease.
- Understanding HCV genotype variability and viral load is crucial for effective treatment strategies and predicting outcomes.
- HCV poses a significant global health challenge, necessitating detailed epidemiological studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the distribution of Hepatitis C virus genotypes in a chronic hepatitis patient cohort in Kolkata, India.
- To assess the viral load associated with different HCV genotypes.
- To provide data that can inform regional therapeutic strategies for Hepatitis C.
Main Methods:
- An observational study involving 350 chronic hepatitis patients was conducted between June 2012 and 2013.
- 110 anti-HCV antibody positive cases were analyzed for viral RNA extraction, genotyping, and quantification using PCR-based techniques.
- Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics software, with a p-value <0.05 considered significant.
Main Results:
- Among 66 HCV RNA positive cases, genotype 3a was the most prevalent (67%), followed by genotype 1a (27%) and 3b (6%).
- Patients infected with genotype 3a exhibited higher viral loads compared to those with genotypes 1a and 3b.
- No statistically significant difference in viral load was observed among the different HCV RNA genotypes studied.
Conclusions:
- Genotype 3a is the predominant Hepatitis C virus genotype in the studied population.
- Despite higher viral loads in genotype 3a cases, the difference was not statistically significant across the analyzed genotypes.
- Further research is needed to understand the clinical implications of genotype-specific viral loads in Hepatitis C management.
Background:
Hepatitis C virus infection is a leading cause for chronic liver disease. It has wide population specific genotype variability. Genotype knowledge and viral load assessment are equally important for designing therapeutic strategies and as predictors of treatment outcome among hepatitis C (HCV) infected patients.
Materials And Methods:
Between June 2012 and 2013 an observational study was conducted among 350 chronic hepatitis patients visiting Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, India. Among them, 110 anti-HCV antibody positive cases were diagnosed and subjected to viral RNA extraction, viral genotyping and viral load quantification using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based techniques.
Statistical Analysis:
Statistical analysis was done with IBM SPSS Statistics software, version 20. p-value <0.05 was regarded as statically significant.
Results:
Among 66 HCV RNA positive cases, genotypes 1a, 3a and 3b were observed among 18 (27%), 44(67%) and 4(6%) cases respectively. Genotype 3a had higher viral load than patients infected with genotypes 1and 3b. However, no statistical significance was observed for viral load among the various HCV RNA genotypes.
Conclusion:
Genotype 3a accounted for the highest number of cases with positive HCV RNA. However, no statistically significant difference existed for viral load among the various HCV RNA genotypes in this study.
