DISTRIBUTION OF INFECTING HEPATITIS-C VIRUS GENOTYPES IN END-STAGE LIVER-DISEASE PATIENTS AT A LARGE AMERICAN TRANSPLANTATION CENTER

The distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes was studied in 2 02 anti-HCV-positive liver transplant candidates with end-stage liver disease. HCV sequences were successfully amplified from 185 patients: In the first 100, the genotype was determined by direct sequencing in the NS5 region, and in the remaining 85, type-specific primers were us ed for genotyping. Eighty-five patients (46.0%) were infected with typ e 1a HCV strains, 52 (28.1%) with type 1b, 14 (7.6%) with type 2b, 13 (7.0%) with type 4, 5 (2.7%) with type 3a, 2 (1.1%) with type 2a, and 1 (0.5%) with type 2c, Thirteen HCV-positive patients (7.0%) could not be genotyped, The relatively low prevalence of genotype 1b in this po pulation of end-stage liver disease patients speaks against postulated higher pathogenicity of this genotype.