Hepatitis C Virus Genotypes in Patients Referred to Educational Hospitals in Zahedan (2009 ‒ 2013)

The Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a single strand, linear RNA virus, is one of the most important hepatotrope agents worldwide. At least 6 distinct genotypes of HCV and more than 50 subgroups have beendetected. It has been demonstrated that HCV genotypes vary in their distribution, which may indicate the route of acquisition and affect the clinical outcome and response to therapy. This study investigated the distribution of HCV genotypes and their relationship to risk factors in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan and Balouchestan province, in southeast Iran This cross-sectional study enrolled all patients with positive or indeterminate anti-HCV tests who were referred to Zahedan university of medical sciences (ZAUMS) educational hepatitis clinics. To determine viral infection and analyze genotypes,the study applied nested polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) and restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). The study found that 72 patients, 43 males and 29 females, had documented HCV infections. Age’s ranged from 20 - 75, with a mean of 48. The largest number of patients had the 1a genotypes (41 patients = 56.9%), followed by 3a (25 patients = 34.7%), and 1b and 4a each of them (3 patients = 4.2%). The study showed that genotypes 1a and 3a are the most common genotypes in patients with chronic HCV infection in Sistan and Balouchestan province, in southeast Iran.