Abstract
Background/Aims: The clinico-pathologic features of hepatitis C virus infection intravenous drug users are different from those found in other hepatitis C virus-infected patients. Our airm was to test whether specific viral variants circulate within this particular patient population. Methods: We studied the distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes in 90 drug addicts and 484 controls, according to the method described by Okamoto. Results: Hepatitis C virus type 1a and 3a infections were more frequent among intravenous drug users than in 125 age-matched controls (48.8% and 21.1% vs 17.6% and 11.2%), accounting for the majority of infections in intravenous drug users. Analysis of hepatitis C virus genotypes according to age showed that, in the general population, hepatitis C virus types 1a and 3a were more prevalent among patients younger than 40 years of age than in older individual (17.6% and 11.2% vs. 1.4% and 0.6%). Conclusions: These findings suggest that hepatitis C virus types 1a and 3a were recently introduced in Italy, presumably via needle-sharing among intravenous drug users, and from this reservoir they are extending to the general population, particularly among younger subjects.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 691-695 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Journal of Hepatology |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1995 |
Keywords
- Drug users
- Epidemiology
- Genotypes
- Hepatitis C virus
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Hepatology
- Gastroenterology