Korean J Gastroenterol.  2015 Feb;65(2):105-111. 10.4166/kjg.2015.65.2.105.

Prevalence, Risk Factors and Clinical Characteristics in Patients with Genotype 6 Chronic Hepatitis C: A Single Institute Experience

• Shin SK
• Park SY
• Jung YK
• Kim EJ
• Lee HN
• Lee JJ
• Kwon OS
• Choi DJ
• Kim YS
• Kim JH

• KMID: 2373191
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4166/kjg.2015.65.2.105

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Hepatitis C genotypes 1 and 2 are widely distributed globally. In contrast, genotype 6 is found mainly in Southeast Asia, while genotype 6 is rare in Korea. This study aims to investigate the prevalence, risk factors and clinical characteristics of patients with genotype 6 chronic hepatitis C.
METHODS
We retrospectively identified 133 HCV-infected patients who underwent HCV genotype analysis between January 2012 and December 2012, and analyzed the prevalence, risk factors and clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with genotype 6 chronic hepatitis C.
RESULTS
Among 133 patients, 53 patients (39.8%) were infected with genotype 1, 62 patients (46.6%) with genotype 2, 2 patients (1.5%) with genotype 3, 14 patients (10.5%) with genotype 6, and 2 patients (1.5%) with mixed genotypes (genotype 1 and 6). The risk factors associated with genotype 6 were acupuncture (n=4, 28.6%), intravenous drug use (n=3, 21.4%), tattoo (n=2, 14.3%), and transfusion (n=2, 14.3%). Of the 14 patients with genotype 6, 6 patients were treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Five patients had reached the end of treatment. All patients reaching end of treatment for genotype 6 showed early virological response and sustained virological response.
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of genotype 6 is 10.5% and mixed infections of genotype 1 and 6 are 1.5% in patients with chronic hepatitis C. A major potential risk factor is intravenous drug use and the treatment response rate to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin is high in patients with genotype 6 chronic hepatitis C. Large scale multicenter studies are needed.

Keyword

Genotype 6; Hepatitis C; Prevalence; Risk factors; Treatment response

MeSH Terms

Acupuncture Therapy
Adult
Aged
Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
Blood Transfusion
Drug Therapy, Combination
Female
Genotype
Hepacivirus/*genetics/isolation & purification
Hepatitis C, Chronic/*diagnosis/drug therapy/epidemiology
Humans
Interferon-alpha/therapeutic use
Male
Middle Aged
Polyethylene Glycols/therapeutic use
Prevalence
RNA, Viral/genetics
Recombinant Proteins/therapeutic use
Republic of Korea
Retrospective Studies
Ribavirin/therapeutic use
Risk Factors
Tattooing
Antiviral Agents
Interferon-alpha
Recombinant Proteins
Ribavirin
RNA, Viral
Polyethylene Glycols

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Distribution of HCV genotypes.

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  Fig. 2. Exposure to potential risk factors in patients with genotype 6 chronic hepatitis C.

Reference

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