Journal of Liver

Nine year distribution pattern of hepatitis C virus genotypes in Southern Italy

CO-ORGANIZED EVENT: 5^th World Congress on Hepatitis & Liver Diseases & 2^nd International Conference on Pancreatic Cancer & Liver Diseases

August 10-12, 2017 London, UK

Arnolfo Petruzziello, Anna Cozzolino, Giovanna Loquercio and Samantha Marigliano

Fondazione IRCCS - National Cancer Institute, Italy

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Liver

Abstract:

Background: Different hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes exhibit differences in disease pathogenesis and progression, as well as in disease outcomes and response to therapy. Tracking the change of HCV genotypes in various epidemiological settings is critical for both disease surveillance and the development of improved antiviral treatment. Here, we tracked the changes in the prevalence of the distribution of HCV genotypes in Southern Italy in three different periods 2006-2008, 2009-2011 and 2012-2014. Materials & Methods: HCV genotypes distribution was analyzed in 535 HCV-RNA positive patients with chronic HCV infection, observed from 2012 to 2014, and compared with our previous study, which recorded data in the period 2006-2008 and 2009-2011. Pearson Chi-square test and t-test were used to statistically analyze the results. Results: In all the periods analyzed, genotype 1 is predominant, even if its prevalence decreased from 2006 to 2014 (64.3% in 2006- 08, 62.4% in 2009-11 and 60.8% in 2012-14). On the contrary, in the same period, the genotype 2 prevalence increased (27.9% in 2006-08, 31.7% in 2009-11 and 35.2% in 2012-14), whereas genotype 3 seems to show a decrease during the time (6.8% in 2006-08, 4.7% in 2009-11 and 3.2% in 2012-14). Subtype 1b, particularly common in females compared to males in the past (64.3% vs. 39.3% in 2006-08, p<0.001 and 54.0% vs. 41.5% in 2009-11, p<0.05), seems to be now quite equally distributed between males and females (52.7% vs. 56.6%). Instead, the male/female ratio for genotype 3 is highly decreased from 2006 to 2014. The prevalence of patients with genotype 1b in the age range 31-40 years is significantly higher in the 2012-14 period than in both previous periods (53.8% vs. 16.6% in 2009-11, p<0.001 and 13.4% in 2006-08, p<0.001) and lower in the over-60-year-olds (57.9% vs. 59.6% in 2009-11 ). Conclusions: Genotype 1b, historically the most prevalent in Southern Italy, is still predominant; however, when comparing the three time periods, genotype 2 seems to show an increase in the general population not related to age or gender, whereas genotype 1b, even if the most common in the elder population, shows a significantly increase in the under 40 years old population.