HEPATITIS-C VIRUS GENOTYPES IN SINGAPORE AND INDONESIA

5' untranslated and partial core (C) region sequence of hepatitis C vi rus (HCV) in 21 Singaporean and 15 Indonesian isolates were amplified by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and sequenced with the use of conserved primer sequences deduced from HCV genomes identif ied in other geographical regions. The HCV genotypes are predominantly that of Simmonds type 1 and less of type 2 and 3 with the latter geno type currently not detected in Indonesia. The 5' untranslated sequence s are related to HCV-1, DK-7 (Denmark), US-11 (United States of Americ a), HCV-J4, SA-10 (South Africa), T-3 (Taiwan), HCV-J6, HCV-J8, Eb-1 a nd Eb-8. When compared with the prototype HCV-1, insertions are found within the 5' untranslated region of Singaporean isolates and not in t he Indonesians. There are Singaporean and Indonesian isolates that hav e sequences within the 5' untranslated region that differ slightly fro m each other, Microheterogeneity is observed in the core region of two Singaporeans and one Indonesian isolate. Finally, not all HCV isolate s can be amplified with the conserved core sequence primers when compa red with the ease with which these isolates can be amplified with 5' u ntranslated region conserved primers.