In-Vitro Transcription analysis of NSSAfrom HCV-3a circulating in Pakistani patients with chronic hepatitis C and their differential response to antiviral therapy

Objective: Mutations in HCV nonstructural protein 5A [NS5A] play a vital role in virus resistance The aim of this study was to develop a correlation between NS5A mutations [genotype 3a] and virolosical response towards interferon alpha [IFN-alpha] plus ribavirin therapy

Methods: In this study, which was conducted from 09-02-2013 to 25-11-2015 in the rural area of Province Smdh - Pakistan, total patients' responses to peg-IFN therapy were investigated. Patients were given peg-IFN therapy for 24 to 48 weeks and categorized as sustained virologic responders [SVR] or non-responders [NR] to HCV infection. HCV NS5A region [2215-2335] of genotype 3a was identified in both responders and non-responders

Results: Twenty-four NR with 24 SVR isolates showed significant mutations within the nonstructural protein 5A region in HCV genotype 3a. The New Zealand [NZL1] [GenBank D17763] differences were observed by using gene. The ISDR mutations for nonstructural protein 5A in non-responders have been reported as a possible explanation of HCV interferon resistance

Conclusion: Based on these results, it is suggested that decreased SVR is caused by the increased mutations in nonstructural protein 5A sequences. When the sequence outside the Protein kinases R binding domain [PKRBD] [2281-2335] was examined, significant differentiations were observed among the SVR and NR classes at few amino acid strains

Molecular epidemiology and clinical features of Hepatitis C Virus [HCV] in epidemic areas of Interior Sindh, Pakistan

Objective: Highly variable genome of HCV and high prevalence in many geographical areas made it necessary to conduct local population studies. This study has been conducted to show HCV parameters along with clinical features in the local population of interior Sindh, province of Pakistan

Methods:Present study was conducted in from August 2010 to November 2015 in the rural areas of Sindh, Pakistan. All the 31560 screened samples selected for the study were tested by second Generation Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay [ELISA Biokit 480and96]

Results:Total 31560 people were screened for HCV and out of these 13.67% [n= 4314] HCV infected patients. When 4314 samples of patients were examined; the anti-HCV was significantly higher in males 2814 [14.98%] than in females 1500 [11.74%] with P value = 0.06. The age of the patients ranged from 18 to 65 years. Out of 4314 HCV samples, 3020 [70%] were of Genotype 3a, 237[5.5%] of Genotype 2a, 108 [2.5%] of Genotype- 1a, 216 [5%] of Genotype 1b, 237 [5.5%] of Genotype 3b and 43 [1%] of Genotype 4. Additionally, 108 [2.5%] had co-infection and 345 [8%] samples showed no result-designated as untypable by the genotyping

Conclusion:This study showed that HCV is most frequently reported disease with genotype 3a being the most prevalent genotype