Hepatitis C virus is an important human pathogen that can cause acute and chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and possibility, hepatocellular carcinoma. Assays to determine the HCV genotypes have recently become relevant in the investigation of many aspects of HCV infection, including epidemiology, pathogenesis, treatment and control strategies. Six major hepatitis C virus genotypes have been characterized, which vary in their geographical distribution. Direct sequencing is gold standard method for HCV genotyping. In this study, the distribution of HCV genotypes by direct sequencing of Core region of HCV genome in an ABI-3130 DNA analyzer and their association with possible risk factors in a group of HCV infected patients from Kermanshah province of Iran was investigated. The genotypes of cases were revealed using direct sequencing of Core region of HCV genome. Risk factors were also recorded and a multivariate analysis was performed. Among 180 infected people, 138 (76.6%) with 3a genotype, 35 (19.4%) with 1a genotype, 3 (1.7%) with 1b genotype and 4 (2.2%) with 3a and 1b were determined. HCV was transmitted by different routes such as intravenous drug abuse (IVDA), tattooing, sexual, blood transfusion. IVDA is the main risk factor in this study and genotype 3a is the predominant genotype in the all groups. This study revealed that 3a is the most prevalent genotypes in Kermanshah province.
HCV Genotyping , Kermanshah, Direct sequencing.
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