DISTRIBUTION OF HCV GENOTYPES AMONG BLOOD-DONORS, PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LIVER-DISEASE, HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA, AND PATIENTS ON MAINTENANCE HEMODIALYSIS IN KOREA

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a single-stranded RNA virus related to the Flaviviridae family, and striking nucleotide sequence diversity has be en reported among HCV isolates from different geographic areas. To stu dy the distribution HCV genotypes among disease groups in Korea, we su btyped HCV using the method of Okamoto et al. [(1992a): Journal of Gen eral Virology 73:673-679] and the reverse hybridization method (INNO-L iPA) on 138 patients who were HCV polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-posi tive: 30 blood donors, 30 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 33 with chronic hepatitis, 15 with liver cirrhosis, and 30 patients on mainte nance hemodialysis in Korea. In 30 blood donors, HCV genotype 1b was m ost dominant (80%), followed by genotype 2a (13.3%), and 2b (6.7%). In 30 HCC cases, HCV genotype 1b was less frequent (60%), compared to bl ood donors, followed by genotype 2a (33.3%), and unclassified (6.7%). In 33 chronic hepatitis cases, HCV genotype 1b was also dominant (63.6 %), followed by genotype 2a (30.3%), and 1a (6.1%). In 15 patients wit h liver cirrhosis, HCV genotype 1b was also dominant (60%), followed b y genotype 2a (33.3%), and la (6.7%). In 30 patients on maintenance he modialysis, HCV genotype 1b was dominant (86.7%), followed by genotype 2a (13.3%). In conclusion, among 138 HCV PCR-positive patients, type 1b was the prevailing type (71%), followed by type 2a (23.9%), type 1a (2.1%), type 2b (1.5%), and unclassified (1.5%) in Korea. The prevale nce of type 1b in blood donors (80%) was higher than in patients with liver disease (61.5%) and the prevalence of type 1b was the lowest in patients with HCC(60%). (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.