Genomic and Phylogenetic analysis of Hepatitis C virus isolates from Córdoba, Argentina.

LAMPE E; RÉ V; YOSHIDA C; SPINSANTI L; ELBARCHA O; CONTIGIANI M

Buenos Aires

Congreso; VII Congreso Argenitno de Virología; 2002

Sociedad Argentina de Virología

HCV genotyping is potentially important in viral transmission studies, HCV epidemiology, and in predicting the success of interferon treatment. Hepatitis C virus genotypes have been associated with specific geographical areas and in many cases with specific mode of transmission. The epidemiology of hepatitis C virus has been shown to be changing rapidly in many countries due to population movement and different life-styles; hence the distribution of the genotypes is being monitored closely in many countries. In Argentina, publications recording the hepatitis C virus genotypes had been carried out mainly in Buenos Aires (East province). There are no studies emanating from the Central Provinces. In a previously study with 60 HCV-RNA infected patients resident in Cordoba, we found by RFLP analysis a high prevalence (55%) of HCV genotypes 2, followed by genotype 1, 3 and 4 with 38%, 5% and 1.7%, respectively. To determine the HCV subtype, direct nucleotide sequencing of part (271 bp) of the core region from 31 of these samples was performed. The sequences obtained and representative sequences of the six HCV clades which were previously employed for standardisation of genotyping were used to construct the phylogenetic trees with programs from the GCG package. Phylogenetic tree indicated that all HCV type 2 (15 samples) sequenced grouped within a clade of HCV genotype 2c. The 23 isolates from type 1 sequenced, 10 were classified as type 1b and four as type 1a. One sample 3 was identified as 3a and the type 4 isolate was grouped into 4a clade. The genotype distribution of HCV infection found in our study population suggest a pattern similar as that reported in Italy, where most community-acquired cases studied so far belong to genotype 2c. This high prevalence of type 2c among subjects living in Córdoba is surprising and to our knowledge, this is the first study of the genomic characterization by nucleotide sequencing in this area.