Detection of Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 4 (HCV-4) Using Real Time PCR in Iraqi Patients Infected with HCV

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is world problem that cause great liver damage approximately effecting 70 million people worldwide which has 6 genotypes and HCV genotype 4 (HCV-4) is the most virulence among the other genotype where it is responsible for a major cause of liver cirrhosis, which leads to liver failure and it is the root cause of hepatocellular carcinoma. The goal of this study is to assess the percentage rate of HCV-4 which has a great effect on the type and duration of medication that used to cure HCV infection, and its an attempt to select  which drugs should be available in the hospital. A total of 100 patients with HCV infection and 90 control subjects were involved in this cross-section study during the period from February 2019 to October 2019 in Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital and Special Nursing Hospital . The detection of HCV was carried by ELISA and the qualitative real time PCR Technology. The HCV was found with 99% in serum that gave noticeable increase when compared with the control  group and the  results that showed a high percentage rate (66%) of HCV genotype 4 (HCV-4)   while  HCV-1a and  HCV-1b  gave  moderate to low percentage rate (32%) and (1%)respectively. Patients with HCV infection show a significant high prevalence of predominance percentage rate of HCV genotype 4 among other genotypes in our patients.