HCV genotypes: a study of 302 HIV coinfected patients

BACKGROUND: To study the distribution of different HCV genotypes in HIV-inf ected patients. PATIENTS AND METHOD: This study was carried out in 302 HIV/HCV-coinfected p atients who were followed-up at the HIV/AIDS Unit of the Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital of Lleida (Spain). HCV genotypes were determined by Inn o-Lipa HCV II technique (Innogenetics, Belgium). RESULTS: 143 patients (51.43%) had a genotype-1, followed by genotype-3 (81 patients; 29.13%), genotype-4 (53 patients; 19.06%), and genotype-2 (one p atient; 0.35%). It was not possible to know the genotype in 24 patients (NT ). CONCLUSIONS: In our health care area, HCV genotype-1 was the commonest amon g HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, However, a given HIV-infected patient with H CV antibodies has practically the same probability of having a genotype-1 a s a genotype non-1.