[Genotyping of hepatitis C virus in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma]

Forty-two patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were examined for hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in liver tissues by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR). Typing of HCV liver samples of 18 patients was dependent on the amplification of NS5 region by PCR using type-specific primers. Type-II was found in 14 of the 18 patients (78%), 7 of the 18 patients (39%) and 4 of the 18 patients (22%) were positive for type-II and I and for type-II and III or IV (III/IV), respectively. Type V or VI (V/VI) infection was not observed. These data indicate that HCV type-II may be the major type in HCC patients with HCV infection in China, and some patients can be coinfected with type-II and I or III/IV.