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. 2016 Sep 7;11(9):e0161844.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161844. eCollection 2016.

Changing Epidemiology of Hepatitis C Virus Genotype among Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Hepatitis C Virus Co-Infection in China

Weilie Chen  1 , Baolin Liao  1 , Fengyu Hu  1 , Jingmin Nie  1 , Yun Lan  1 , Huiqin Li  2 , Ruichao Lu  3 , Yanqing Gao  4 , Yuxia Song  5 , Qingxia Zhao  6 , Yuhuang Zheng  7 , Xiaoping Tang  1 , Weiping Cai  1
Affiliations

Changing Epidemiology of Hepatitis C Virus Genotype among Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Hepatitis C Virus Co-Infection in China

Weilie Chen et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Co-infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) has become the most common cause of death in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients on antiretroviral therapy. The distribution of HCV genotypes varies with geographical regions and time, and limited studies have focused on the HCV genotype in HIV/HCV co-infection.

Methods: The distribution of HCV genotypes was evaluated in 414 patients with HIV/HCV co-infection in three regions (South, Central and Northwest) of China from 2008 to 2010. The NS5B region of HCV was characterized using nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Nucleotide sequences obtained were subjected to phylogenetic analysis, and genotypes were assigned using published reference genotypes.

Results: Genotype 3 was the most prevalent HCV strain (36.2%), followed by genotype 6 (30.0%), genotype 1 (28.5%), genotype 2 (5.1%), and genotype 5 (0.2%). The distribution varied geographically. Genotype 6 (37.6%) was the predominant strain while genotype 1 (20.2%) was less common in the South compared to the Central and Northwest regions (all P < 0.001). The distribution also varied temporally. There was no significant difference in genotype distribution in Guangdong (a province in the South region), between patient cohorts from 2005-2008 and 2009-2010. However, outside Guangdong, genotypes 3 and 6a became significantly more prevalent (22.4% vs.42.2%, P< 0.001; 8.0% vs. 19.8%, P = 0.004), and genotype 1 less prevalent (54.4% vs.26.6%, P< 0.001) over time.

Conclusion: The most dramatic shift in genotypic distribution was the movement of HCV genotypes 3 and 6a outside of Guangdong in HIV/HCV co-infected patients. This movement appeared closely associated with transmission via injected drug use.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Phylogenetic trees of HCV NS5B gene of patients with HIV/HCV co-infection.
There were 5 HCV genotypes and 10 subtypes identified in our studied population, but their frequencies were not equally distributed amongst the group.
Fig 2
Fig 2. HCV genotype distribution in the Guangdong group and the non-Guangdong group between the 2005–2008 and 2009–2010 cohort.
Genotypes 3 and 6a were more common in the non-Guangdong group from 2009–2010 compared to 2005–2008.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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