HEPATITIS-B VIRUS SUBTYPES AND HEPATITIS-C VIRUS GENOTYPES IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LIVER-DISEASE OR ON MAINTENANCE HEMODIALYSIS IN INDONESIA

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA we re surveyed in patients in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and their subtypes a nd genotypes were determined by serological methods and polymerase cha in reaction with type-specific primers, respectively. Of 149 patients with chronic liver disease including 24 with chronic hepatitis, 86 wit h liver cirrhosis, and 39 with primary hepatocellular carcinoma, HBsAg was detected in 40 (27%) and HCV RNA in 48 (32%); one patient was pos itive both for HBsAg and HCV RNA. Thus, the cause of chronic liver dis ease was not identified in 62 (42%) patients. Of 58 patients on mainte nance hemodialysis, four (7%) were positive for HBsAg and 44 (76%) for HCV RNA. Subtype adw was found in 34 (74%) of 46 HBsAg samples and ad r in five (11%); compound subtypes, such as adyw and adyr were detecte d in the remaining seven (15%). Among HCV RNA samples from 48 patients with chronic liver disease, 23 (48%) were of genotype 11, 17 (35%) of genotype III and one (2%) of genotype V, in a distribution strikingly different from that of 44 samples from patients on maintenance hemodi alysis, 39 (89%) of which were of genotype I and only one (2%) of geno type II. Genotypes were not classifiable in seven (15%) patients with liver disease and four (9%) patients on hemodialysis despite high HCV RNA titers in them all. These results indicate that different HCV geno types prevail in patients with distinct diseases, as well as unclassif iable HCV genotypes in Indonesia. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.