Enver Üçbilek1, Bahri Abayli2, Mahmut Bakır Koyuncu1, Durdane Midikli3, Süveyda Gözüküçük4, Alper Akdağ5, Osman Özdoğan6, Engin Altintaş1, Orhan Sezgin1. 1. Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey. 2. Department of Gastroenterology, Çukurova Dr. Aşkım Tüfekçi State Hospital, Adana, Turkey. 3. Department of Infectious Diseases, Adana State Hospital, Adana, Turkey. 4. Department of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Ekrem Tok Psychiatry Hospital, Adana, Turkey. 5. Department of Infectious Diseases, Ceyhan State Hospital, Adana, Turkey. 6. Department of Gastroenterology, Tarsus State Hospital, Mersin, Turkey.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM: The most common hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype in Turkey is genotype 1. However, there has not been a study about the distribution of HCV genotypes among intravenous drug users (IVDUs) in the Çukurova region of Turkey. This study was planned to understand if there is a difference between IVDUs and the normal population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between May 2010 and May 2014, anti-HCV positive IVDUs who applied to the 6 hospitals in the Çukurova region of Turkey were included in this study. Their HCV genotypes were studied. RESULTS: Ninety-seven anti-HCV positive IVDUs were screened in terms of HCV RNA and genotype. Ten were excluded from the study because their HCV RNA results were negative. Fifty-one of the 87 patients (58.6%) had genotype 3. Genotype 2 was detected in 26 (29.9%) and genotype 1 was detected in 10 (11.5%) patients. CONCLUSION: HCV genotypes seem to be different between the normal population and IVDUs according to studies worldwide. Among IVDUs, we detected a dominance of genotype 3 and genotype 2, which is apparently different from the normal population. The reason for this difference can be simply explained by infection through shared needles. However, there may still be a different immunological response in IVDUs, the investigation of which may lead to further studies.
BACKGROUND/AIM: The most common hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype in Turkey is genotype 1. However, there has not been a study about the distribution of HCV genotypes among intravenous drug users (IVDUs) in the Çukurova region of Turkey. This study was planned to understand if there is a difference between IVDUs and the normal population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between May 2010 and May 2014, anti-HCV positive IVDUs who applied to the 6 hospitals in the Çukurova region of Turkey were included in this study. Their HCV genotypes were studied. RESULTS: Ninety-seven anti-HCV positive IVDUs were screened in terms of HCV RNA and genotype. Ten were excluded from the study because their HCV RNA results were negative. Fifty-one of the 87 patients (58.6%) had genotype 3. Genotype 2 was detected in 26 (29.9%) and genotype 1 was detected in 10 (11.5%) patients. CONCLUSION:HCV genotypes seem to be different between the normal population and IVDUs according to studies worldwide. Among IVDUs, we detected a dominance of genotype 3 and genotype 2, which is apparently different from the normal population. The reason for this difference can be simply explained by infection through shared needles. However, there may still be a different immunological response in IVDUs, the investigation of which may lead to further studies.
Entities:
Keywords:
HCV genotypes; Hepatitis C; intravenous drug users