HCV infection in voluntary donors and its influence on recruitment of donors in Chongqing area.

Blood donor recruitment models have changed from paid donors to employer-organized donors and to voluntary donors in China. Reports on the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among voluntary blood donors in China have been rarely found at present. The prevalence of anti-HCV and genotypes among the first-time voluntary blood donors was investigated in Chongqing area of China. A total of 13,620 serum samples were collected from the first-time voluntary blood donors in Chongqing, China. Anti-HCV antibody was tested by ELISA. The Core/E2 region of HCV RNA from HCV seropositive samples was amplified by RT-PCR for genotyping. The results indicated that the prevalence of anti-HCV averaged 0.49% (67/13,620), and the highest rate (0.86%) was obtained in the group aged 40 to 49. A higher prevalence was observed among the more educated donors, and metropolitan donors. The ratios of following genotypes 1b, 2a, 3a and 3b were 4 (18%), 5 (23%), 9 (41%) and 4 (18%) in all the 22 samples respectively. Genotype 3 (3a and 3b) was the predominant genotype. In conclusion, the prevalence of anti-HCV was low among the population of voluntary blood donors in Chonqing area. The genotyping results showed the possibility of presence of druggies among the voluntary blood donors. Therefore, more attention should be paid to exclude those high-risk persons from the volunteers.

Hepatitis C virus genotypes and viral concentrations in participants of a general population survey in the United States.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Estimates of the long-term benefits of antiviral therapies for chronic hepatitis C are influenced by the frequency of characteristics that affect response in the population treated. This study determined hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes and RNA titers among HCV-infected persons in the general population of the United States. METHODS: Genotypes were determined from the NS5b region, and HCV RNA was quantified by using Amplicor Monitor (Roche Diagnostic Systems, Inc, Branchburg, NJ) from 275 HCV RNA-positive participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted during 1988 to 1994. RESULTS: The HCV genotypes identified included 1a (n = 142), 1b (n = 73), 2a (n = 8), 2b (n = 27), 3a (n = 17), 4 (n = 3), and 6 (n = 5). Based on weighted analysis of persons infected with genotypes 1, 2, and 3, genotype 1 predominated in all age groups (75.3%). By racial/ethnic group, genotype 1 was found in 90.9% of non-Hispanic blacks, 69.6% of non-Hispanic whites, and 71.2% of Mexican Americans. After adjusting for age and gender, only non-Hispanic black race/ethnicity was independently associated with genotype 1 infection (adjusted odds ratio 4.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.9-12.8). The overall geometric mean concentration of HCV RNA was 2.1 x 10(6) IU/mL; concentrations > 2 million IU/mL were found in 53.0% overall and 50.3% of persons with genotype 1. CONCLUSIONS: Persons with chronic hepatitis C in the United States who may require treatment in the foreseeable future are predominantly infected with genotype 1, including a disproportionate number of non-Hispanic blacks. These features emphasize the need for improved therapies that reduce or eliminate complications from genotype 1 infections.

Selective transmission of hepatitis C virus genotypes and quasispecies in humans and experimentally infected chimpanzees.

This study determined whether selective transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) species occurred among human and chimpanzee recipients of contaminated blood products or plasma containing multiple genotypes, subgenotypes and quasispecies. Commercially prepared factor VIII concentrate (lot DO56), produced prior to HCV testing and inactivation, was subsequently found by direct cloning to contain the following subgenotypes: 1a and 1b (73 % of clones), 2a (13 % of clones), 2b (11 % of clones) and 3a (4 % of clones). A patient transfused with factor VIII concentrate DO56 was diagnosed with clinical non-A, non-B hepatitis and subsequently found to be infected with HCV subgenotype 1b. Among five chimpanzees inoculated experimentally with the same factor VIII concentrate, two were infected only with HCV subgenotype 1a and three were infected with approximately equivalent clonal proportions of subgenotypes 1a and 1b. HCV hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) quasispecies analysis of the DO56 factor VIII concentrate and a serum specimen from the single chimpanzee that developed a chronic HCV infection following inoculation with DO56 showed 0-56 % nucleotide variation. However, specimens from chimpanzees infected in the second to fourth passages of the DO56 inoculum had 0-8 % HVR1 quasispecies nucleotide variation. The high HVR1 quasispecies variation in the factor VIII concentrate and its first passage in chimpanzees indicates the presence of multiple HCV isolates, whereas the low variation in the second to fourth chimpanzee passages suggests transmission of a single HCV isolate. These findings strongly suggest selective transmission of HCV isolates during experimental chimpanzee infection and among humans exposed to multiple HCV species.