HEPATITIS-C VIRUS GENOTYPES IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LIVER-DISEASE AND HEMODIALYSIS-PATIENTS FROM SAUDI-ARABIA

The genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) were investigated in 28 Saudi patients (21 males, seven females; age range 23-68 years: mean 45.0 y ears) with histologically proven chronic hepatitis (13 chronic active hepatitis and 15 liver cirrhosis) and in 32 Saudi patients with chroni c renal failure maintained on haemodialysis (22 males, 10 females; age range 18-60 years; mean 40.0 years) who also had liver disease due to HCV, Among the 28 patients with chronic liver disease genotype 4 was the predominant one (60.7%), followed by types Ib (21.4%), 1a (14.3%) and 2a (3.6%), The distribution of genotypes was similar in patients w ith chronic active hepatitis to those with liver cirrhosis. Among the 32 patients with chronic renal failure and maintained on haemodialysis , genotype 4 was also the dominant type (55.0%), followed by 1a (25.0% ), 1b (21.9%) and 2a (3.1%), In all categories studied the prevalence of genotypes between males and females was the same. As our patients w ere selected from various regions of Saudi Arabia, we believe that gen otype 4: is the predominant one throughout the whole kingdom.