HEPATITIS-C GENOTYPES IN PATIENTS WITH DUAL HEPATITIS-B AND HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTION

In patients with chronic hepatitis B and C virus (HBV, HCV) infection, an inverse relationship in the replicative activity of the two viruse s has been reported. In the present study the genotype of HCV was eval uated in 34 consecutive cases found with hepatitis B surface antigen ( HBsAg) and anti-HCV in the serum, in order to identify its possible in fluence in determining the pattern of HBV/HCV interaction. Nineteen pa tients were HCV-RNA positive and could be genotyped: 8 were infected b y HCV-1 (3 by HCV-1a and 5 by HCV-1b), 10 by HCV-2, and only 1 by HCV- 3. Among these, 3 were HBV-DNA positive, compared to 10 of 15 HCV-RNA- negative patients (P = 0.003), and all 3 were coinfected with HCV-2. M ean alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were similar between patient s infected with HCV-1 and HCV-2. Among 7 patients with cirrhosis 5 wer e infected by HCV-2, while 6 of 12 of those without cirrhosis had HCV- 1 infection. In conclusion, HBV replication was inhibited more efficie ntly by HCV-1 than by HCV-2. Cirrhosis was frequently found in patient s with dual HBV and HCV-2 infection. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.