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Hepatitis C virus genotypes are not responsible for development of serious liver disease
M Yamada1, S Kakumu, K Yoshioka
1Third Department of Internal Medicine, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
Insights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes were studied in 251 Japanese patients. Results indicate that HCV genotypes are unlikely to cause severe liver disease, despite variations in viral RNA amounts.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Genetics
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to chronic liver disease.
- At least four HCV genotypes exist, but their link to disease severity is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the distribution of HCV genotypes in Japanese patients with chronic liver disease.
- To investigate the relationship between HCV genotype and liver disease severity.
Main Methods:
- Genotyping of HCV in 251 patient sera using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with specific primers.
- Analysis of genotype distribution across different stages of liver disease (chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma).
Main Results:
- HCV genotype II was the most prevalent (69%), followed by type III (18%) and type IV (7%). Type I was not detected.
- No significant association was found between HCV genotype distribution and liver disease stage.
- HCV RNA levels were higher in type II infections compared to types III and IV, but did not correlate with disease severity.
Conclusions:
- HCV genotype distribution in Japanese patients is predominantly type II.
- HCV genotype is unlikely to be the primary factor determining the severity of liver disease.
Abstract:
Although hepatitis C virus (HCV) is known to have at least four kinds of genotypes, no clear relationship has yet been established between the genotype and the severity of liver disease. Therefore, we determined HCV genotypes in sera of 251 Japanese patients with type C chronic liver disease, using polymerase chain reactions with six independent primers. One set of primers and a probe derived from 5'-noncoding region of HC-J1 was supposed to detect all four genotypes, while the other five were devised to detect each of the genotypes. Among the patients, the major genotype was type II (69%) and the second most common was type III (18%). Type IV was found in 7%, while none had type I genotype. There was no significant difference in the distribution of any genotype among different stages of liver disease, although the ratio of type II to type III tended to be higher in the group of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma than in the chronic hepatitis group (5.5 vs 3.0). The amounts of HCV RNA were significantly greater in patients with type II (P < 0.001) compared with those with types III and IV. However, HCV concentrations of each genotype were not associated with the disease status. These results suggest that HCV genotypes are unlikely to be responsible for the development of more serious liver disease.