SURVEY OF MAJOR GENOTYPES AND SUBTYPES OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS USING RFLP OF SEQUENCES AMPLIFIED FROM THE 5' NONCODING REGION

A method is described for identifying different genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) by restriction endonuclease cleavage of sequences ampli fied by PCR from the 5' non-coding region. Using the enzymes HaeIII-Rs aI and HinfI-MvaI, followed by cleavage with BstU1 or ScrFI, it was po ssible to identify and distinguish HCV genotypes 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3 b, 4, 5 and 6. The method was used to investigate the prevalence of th ese genotypes in 723 blood donors in 15 countries, the largest survey to date, and one which covered a wide range of geographical regions (E urope, America, Africa and Asia). These results, combined with a revie w of the existing literature, indicate the existence of several distin ct regional patterns of HCV genotype distribution, and provide the fra mework for future detailed epidemiological investigations of HCV trans mission.