SEROTYPES, GENOTYPES AND LEVELS OF HEPATITIS-C VIREMIA IN PREGNANT-WOMEN IN TAIWAN

The correlation between a new serotyping method for grouping different genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV)) and those identified by a polym erase chain reaction (PCR) assay with type-specific primers was invest igated in 3,400 pregnant women. The correlation between HCV genotypes and serum HCV levels in HCV-positive pregnant women was studied as wel l. The new serologic assay used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA) based on highly group-specific recombinant peptides (Cl4-1 and Cl4-2) within the NS4 region and deterred group-specific antibodies ag ainst different HCV genotypes. Serum HCV levels were assayed by a comp etitive PCR method. In all, 43 pregnant women were found to be positiv e for HCN antibodies by the second-generation ELISA method and were po sitive for HCV-RNA by PCR with primers from the 5' untranslated region . All 43 had defined genotypes: 28 (65%) with HCV 1b, 11 (26%) HCV 2a, 3 (7%) HCV 2b and 1 (2%) HCV1b + 2a. In 40 (93%) of the 43 viremic pr egnant women, the results of serotyping by ELISA showed complete agree ment with those determined by PCR genotyping, and none of the women sh owed a group different from that of the HCV genotype. In addition, ser um levels of HCV Ib were significantly higher than those of HCV 2a. Th e results show that this new serotyping assay is highly sensitive and specific for the determination of HCV genotypes and that serum HCV lev els in pregnant women with genotype Ib are higher than those with geno type 2a.