High proportion of hepatitis C virus genotypes 1 and 3 in a large cohort of patients from Southern Brazil

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) isolates have been divided into six genotypes (1 to 6). The duration of hepatitis C standard treatment is 48 weeks for patients infected with HCV genotype 1 vs 24 weeks for those infected with genotypes 2 and 3. A total of 1544 HCV isolates from chronic patients living in the southern Brazilian states of Rio Grande do Sul (RS, n = 627) and Santa Catarina (SC, n = 917) were genotyped by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products. In RS, 338 (53.9 percent; 95 percent CI 50.0 - 57.8 percent), 34 (5.4 percent; 95 percent CI 3.8 - 7.4 percent) and, 255 (40.7 percent; 95 percent CI 36.9 - 44.6 percent) samples were from genotypes 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In SC, 468 (51 percent; 95 percent CI 47.8 - 54.2 percent), 26 (2.9 percent; 95 percent CI 1.9 - 4.1 percent) and, 423 (46.1 percent; 95 percent CI 42.9 - 49.3 percent) samples were from genotypes 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Genotyping results were confirmed by direct nucleotide sequencing of PCR products derived from 68 samples, without any discrepancy between PCR-RFLP and nucleotide sequencing methods. In conclusion, almost half of the hepatitis C patients from South of Brazil are infected by genotypes 2 and 3 and, these results have important consequential therapeutic implications as they can be treated for only 24 weeks, not 48.

Characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi strains isolated from chronic chagasic patients, Triatomines and opossums naturally infected from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Thrity-five Trypanosoma cruzi strains were isolated from chronic chagasic triatomines and opossums from different municipalities of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. Parasites were characterized by means of mice infectivity, enzyme electrophoresis and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Twenty-nine strains were isolated from chagasic patients, 4 from triatomines (2 from Triatoma infestans and 2 from Panstrongylus megistus) and 2 from opossums Didelphis albiventris. Thirty-three T. cruzi strains were of low and 2 strains of high virulence in mice. Both virulent strains were isolated from P. megistus. Isoenzyme analysis of the strains showed 3 different zymodemes. Eleven strains islolated from chagasic patients and 2 from D. albiventris were Z2. Eighteen strains from patients and 2 from T. infestans were ZB and 2 T. cruzi strains isolated from P. megistus were Z1. RAPD profiles obtained with 4 random primers showed a high genetic heterogeneity of T. cruzi strains. Zymodeme 2 and Zb strains were the more polymorphic. A band sharing analysis of the RAPD profiles of Z2 and ZB strains using 3 primers, showed a very low percentage of shared bands, 20 per cent among 13 ZB strains and 14 per cent among 13 Z2 strains. According to the isoenzyme results, 3 T. cruzi populations were present in State of Rio Grande do Sul. Zymodeme 2 and ZB strains were found infecting man (domiciliar transmission cycle) whereas Z1 strains were found infecting the sylvatic vector P. megistus.