Genotypes of hepatitis b and c virus in blood donors, hospital patients, and hemodialysis patients in damascus, syria

Abstract AR

Objectives & Background: of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes is important for determination of prognosis, therapy, and geographic distribution.

It is essential to know the genotype of chronic HCV infection before initiating interferon-ribavirin therapy.

Such a study has not been done previously in Syria.

Methods: Sera from 70 HBsAg positive and 69 anti-HCV positive blood donors of the blood bank of Damascus were studied.

During the same period, sera from 29 HBsAg positive and l5 anti-HCV positive hospital patients, and ll HBsAg positive and 4l anti-HCV positive hemodialysis patients were analyzed.

Resultd: but one exhibited serotype ayw2.

Surprisingly, until now, there has been no significant introduction to Syria of genotype A from Europe, genotype B from Asia, or genotype E from Africa.

However, the dominant serotype ayw is the most widely spread serotype of HBV in most other Mediterranean countries.

The majority of the l% anti-HCV positive test results in blood donors in Syria could not be confirmed to be specific either by detection of HCV-RNA in PCR test or by demonstration of anti-HCV in the Western blot test.

According to the randomly selected sample of this study between 0.33% (no confirmation by Western Blot and PCR) and 0.70% (confirmation by Western blot or PCR) of tests performed would be expected to show nonspecific reactivity in the test system used for screening (Hepanostika).

In 59 HCV-RNA positive sera, the genotype of HCV was determined.

Genotype l (la+lb), which has the lowest response rate to interferon treatment of chronic hepatitis was found in 86%, appearing as the most frequently present genotype in hemodialysis patients.

In blood donors and hospital patients, about the same prevalence of genotype l and 4 is found (39% and 42%).

In other Arabic countries, genotype 4 may cause the majority of HCV infections.

Genotype 3, which has the best response to treatment, was infrequently found in blood donors (3 out of l7) and hospital patients (3 out of l4).

Conclusion: This study confirms that the most predominant of all BBVpositive specimens is genotype D and that l and 4 are the most predominant hepatitis C virus genotypes in Damascus, Syria.