Assessing the Hepatitis C Genotype in Prisoners Infected with HCV in South Khorasan- 2014

Background and Objectives: Hepatitis C is a dangerous viral infection, which is the important cause of chronic liver diseases such as fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) has six major genotype of HCV identified for which are different in prevalence, carcinogenicity, persistency, and response to the treatment. Identification of HCV genotype and viral load are main factors for planning of the treat and prediction of response. There has not been any study regarding the viral load and genotype distribution of HCV in our area and this study was done to evaluate risk factors, viral load, and genotype of HCV among prisoners in East Iran. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 2,995 prisoners across the South Khorasan province were screened for the anti-HCV antibody by ELISA method. A total of 38 prisoners with positive results were selected for further evaluation. Demographic data as well as predisposing factors were obtained from the records. A total of 5 ml of venous blood was taken and after RNA extraction, viral load genotype and HCV were identified by using the commercial Real Time PCR and PCR method, respectively. Results: Among 2,995 prisoners, 34 cases (mean age 39 ± 8.8 years, M/F ratio: 13.1) were positive for HCV antibody. A total of 50% were married, 79.4% were urban citizens, and 97.1% of patients infected with HCV had drug addiction. In 28 cases (82.3%), the virus was detected by real time PCR method. Genotype 3a and 1a were the most prevalence genotypes (75% and 8.3%, respectively). The average of viral load was 123,798 IU/mL. There was no significant relation between age or sex with viral load and genotype. Discussion and Conclusions: This study showed that the predominant genotype in prisoners is the genotype 3a, which adds to the evidence of the predominant genotype in Iran. The genotype of injecting drugs prisoners is different to other groups infected with Hepatitis C in Iran.