HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-ANTIBODY, VIRAL-RNA AND GENOTYPES IN LEPROUS PATIENTS IN JAPAN

Background/Methods: Markers of hepatitis C virus infection were tested for in 229 patients with leprosy (male 154, female 75) in Japan. Resu lts: Antibody to hepatitis C virus by a second-generation enzyme immun oassay was detected in 68 patients (30%), and RNA of hepatitis C virus in 41 (18%), in prevalence rates much higher (p<0.001) than those in matched controls (11/923 or 1.2% and 9/923 or 1.0%, respectively), Hep atitis C virus genotypes were II/1b in 37 (90%), III/2a in three (7%) and IV/2b in one (2%), in which II/1b was more frequently (p<0.003) re presented than in hepatitis C virus carriers without leprosy in Japan (520/767 or 68%), The 41 patients with hepatitis C virus viremia had s erum transaminase levels significantly higher than those in the other 188 patients without viremia (p<0.01). Conclusions: These results indi cate that leprous patients confined in institutions are at high risk o f hepatitis C virus infection, and that patients infected with hepatit is C virus should be monitored for liver function and placed on interf eron therapy whenever required.