Genotypes of hepatitis C virus in chronic liver disease in Taiwan

Abstract

The genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 81 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were investigated by the polymerase chain reaction using type-specific primers. All the patients were positive for HCV RNA in the serum. Forty-two patients had LC with HCC, while the remaining 39 patients had LC without HCC. Genotype II was detected in 47 samples (58.0%), type III in 6 samples (7.4%), and type IV in 4 (6.2%). No evidence of genotype I was found. Mixed infection was detected in 11 samples (13.6%). The prevalence of genotype II in LC with HCC patients (69.0%) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in the LC without HCC patients (46.2%). It is concluded that genotype II is the most predominant type in patients with LC or HCC in Taiwan, and is found more frequently in patients who had LC with HCC than in those who had LC alone.