GENOTYPES OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS IN ITALIAN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C

To assess the prevalence of different hepatitis C virus genotypes in a n European population of patients with chronic hepatitis C, 79 consecu tive Italian patients were studied. After having cloned and sequenced part of the 5' untranslated region of the virus in 21 patients, oligon ucleotide probes were synthesized to be used in a more rapid dot-blot hybridization test. Using this method, 42% of patients were found infe cted by HCV type 1, 45% by HCV type 2 and 4% by HCV type 3, while seve n patients remained unclassified. Patients infected by HCV type 3 were significantly younger and had a milder form of liver disease, compare d to those infected by HCV type 1 or HCV type 2. Patients with HCV typ e 2 or HCV type 3 responded to interferon therapy much better than tho se with HCV type 1. These results provide information on the prevalenc e of different HCV genotypes in our region, and indicate the usefulnes s of the dot-blot hybridization procedure for rapid screening of HCV g enotypes.