Mediagnost Gesellschaft Für Forschung Und Herstellung Von Diagnostika, Reutlingen, Germany.
National Institute of Virology, Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center of Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan.
Sci Rep. 2024 May 15;14(1):11159. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-59342-7.
Hepatitis is a major public health issue, affecting 10-17 million people worldwide, with its prevalence continuously increasing. The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is responsible for liver related diseases, which include liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and chronic hepatitis. Pakistan is experiencing a serious rise in HCV cases. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and distribution of HCV genotypes in Sindh, Pakistan. Serum samples from HCV-positive patients were collected from various local hospitals in Sindh. These samples were first screened for HCV antibodies using ELISA. Samples that tested positive for HCV RNA underwent further genotyping through sequencing using the standard Sanger method. The genotypes were identified by comparing the sequences with those available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed. The phylogenetic analysis showed that all isolates in this study were clustered with genotypes 3a and 3b, except for one sequence that was clustered with genotype 1a. No isolates were found to be clustered with reference genomes of genotypes 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 suggesting that genotype 3a is endemic in this region. The analyzed sequences demonstrated a 98% similarity with reference and isolated sequences. In summary, sequencing of the HCV 5' UTR essential for identifying the predominant genotype of HCV RNA in the Sindh region Further research on the distribution of HCV genotypes in other regions of Pakistan could aid in improving screening processes, identifying more effective treatment options, and developing suitable prevention strategies.
肝炎是一个主要的公共卫生问题，影响着全球 1000 万至 1700 万人，其流行率持续上升。丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）是导致肝脏相关疾病的罪魁祸首，包括肝硬化、肝细胞癌和慢性肝炎。巴基斯坦正经历着 HCV 病例的严重上升。本研究旨在评估巴基斯坦信德省 HCV 基因型的流行和分布情况。从信德省各地医院的 HCV 阳性患者中采集血清样本。这些样本首先使用 ELISA 检测 HCV 抗体。对 HCV RNA 检测呈阳性的样本通过使用标准 Sanger 测序方法进行进一步的基因分型。通过将序列与国家生物技术信息中心（NCBI）数据库中的序列进行比较来确定基因型，并构建系统发育树。系统发育分析表明，本研究中的所有分离株都与基因型 3a 和 3b 聚类，除了一个序列与基因型 1a 聚类。没有发现与基因型 2、4、5、6 和 7 的参考基因组聚类的分离株，这表明基因型 3a 在该地区流行。分析的序列与参考序列和分离序列具有 98%的相似性。总之，对 HCV 5'UTR 的测序对于确定信德省 HCV RNA 的主要基因型至关重要。对巴基斯坦其他地区 HCV 基因型分布的进一步研究有助于改进筛查过程，确定更有效的治疗方案，并制定合适的预防策略。
