[Prevalence of hepatitis C virus genotypes: epidemiology and histologic characteristics]

To analyse the prevalence of HCV genotypes among patients from Gran Canaria and the relation with the routes of viral transmission, date of primoinfection and severity of hepatic lesion.

179 patients were studied. In 61 patients the date of exposure was determinate. Liver biopsies were obtained in 139 patients. Genotypes were determinate by reverse hybridisation using InnoLiPA genotyping kit (Innogenetics).

The distribution of genotypes was: 1b, 114 (63.7%), 1a, 30 (16.7%); 1, 17 (9.5%); 3a, 7 (3.9%); 4c/4d, 6 (3.3%); 2, 1 (0.5%); 2a/2c, 2 (1.1%), 3, 1 (0.5%) and 4f, 1 (0.5%). We did not find any case of coinfection with a second genotype. In univariable analysis, we found statistically differences in sex (78.9% of women infected with genotype 1b compared with 55.1% of men, p < 0.01 and 31.6% of men infected with 1a, 3a and 4c/4d compared with 15.7% of women, p < 0.01) and age (median age in genotype 1b 45 +/- 12 years vs 36 +/- 9 years in the other genotypes, p < 0.01). HCV subtypes 1a and 3a were predominant in patients IVDA (47.6% and 23.85% respectively) and 1b in blood transfusion receptors (71.2%) (p < 0.01). In 40.2% of the patients, the sources of infection were unknown. In the multivariable logistical regression analysis we found the only factor influencing the genotypes distribution was the transmission mechanism (p < 0.001) and sex and age are relationated with the transmission mode. The media infection duration in patients infected with 1b was 22 +/- 11 years vs 9 +/- 6 years in the other genotypes. We found differences in the liver histologic findings and the age of the patient, but not in the different genotypes.

Our study reflects the higher frequency of HCV subtype 1b in our area and a different prevalence of genotypes in relation to mode of transmission. Our results suggest that in our media the liver damage seems to be directly influenced by the age of the patient, but not influenced by HCV genotype.