Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection and the IL28B genotype polymorphism among blood donors and high-risk populations.
- Author:
Benjy Yi-Min SOH
1
;
Rajneesh KUMAR
1
;
Victoria Sze-Min EKSTROM
1
;
Clement Yi-Hao LIN
1
;
Sobhana THANGARAJU
2
;
Hwee Huang TAN
3
;
Kwai Peng CHAN
2
;
Lina Hui Lin CHOONG
2
;
Diana TEO
3
;
Wan Cheng CHOW
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords: HCV genotype; IL28B; Singapore; hepatitis C; prevalence
- MeSH: Acute Kidney Injury; blood; complications; Adult; Alleles; Blood Donors; Female; Genotype; Hepatitis C; epidemiology; Humans; Interleukins; genetics; Male; Middle Aged; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Prevalence; Renal Dialysis; Singapore; epidemiology; Substance Abuse, Intravenous; blood; epidemiology; Young Adult
- From:Singapore medical journal 2019;60(1):34-39
- CountrySingapore
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
INTRODUCTION:To study the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in blood donor (BD), haemodialysis (HD) and intravenous drug user (IVDU) populations in Singapore and assess the IL28B polymorphism if HCV positive.
METHODS:The BD population were healthy volunteers, the HD population were patients who were on haemodialysis for at least six months of follow-up between January 2009 and December 2014. IVDU population was from inmates at halfway houses who consented.
RESULTS:Between 2011 and 2014, of 161,658 individuals who underwent screening prior to blood donation, 95 (0.059%) were positive for HCV. Of the 42 sera available, common genotypes (GTs) were GT-3 (47.6%) and GT-1 (31.0%). Of 1,575 HD patients, 2.2% were anti-HCV positive. The HCV GT distribution was HCV GT-1 (32.4%), HCV GT-3 (20.5%) and GT-6 (8.8%). 83 halfway house inmates were screened. Of the 47 IVDUs, 36.2% were anti-HCV positive with predominant GT-3 (%). IL28B polymorphism was noted to be CC predominantly 85.3%.
CONCLUSION:Prevalence of HCV infection has decreased in both the BD and HD populations. However, it remains high in the IVDU population. GT-1 remains the most common in the HD population; however, GT-3 infection is now more common among the BD population in Singapore. IL28B - CC is the predominant variant among the HCV-infected individuals in Singapore.
