Distribution and genotyping of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Gansu province, China

Introduction: The distribution of common subtypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Gansu province were analyzed. This information provided a theoretical basis for the selection of appropriate antiviral treatment regimens.

Methodology: We collected data on HCV antibody screening tests from 421,802 outpatients and inpatients at the Second Clinical Hospital of Lanzhou University from January 2018 to June 2022. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) viral load, HCV genotypes, and HCV quantification were analyzed retrospectively. The results of HCV positive detection rate, copy number, and genotype distribution were statistically analysed using SPSS 26.0.

Results: A total of 421,802 HCV antibody screenings were performed resulting in 4,558 positive cases (1.081%). In addition, 2,345 cases (1.302%) were positive with quantitative HCV antibodies in 180,157 outpatients and inpatients. Quantitative HCV virus RNA was further measured in 2592 outpatients and inpatients. There were 825 positive cases for HCV, with a positivity rate of 31.83%. High-sensitivity quantification of HCV-RNA was performed in 6538 patients, among which 1336 were HCV-RNA positive infections (positivity rate of 20.43%). Among the 1484 genotype tests, 4 genotypes and 10 subtypes were detected, including 4a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 6a, 6n, 1b/2a, and 2a/6a, with the majority of results from 2a (51.89%) and 1b (42.72%).

Conclusions: The most prevalent genetic subtype in HCV-positive patients in Gansu was 2a, followed by 1b. In addition, 8 genotype subtypes appeared: 1a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 6a, 6n, 1b/2a and 2a/6a. Understanding the distribution of HCV genes in Gansu province is of significance for the optimization of virus treatment.