Prevalence of IL-28B and ITPA genotypes in Chinese Han population infected persistently with hepatitis C virus genotype 6 or HCV-1

The geographic distribution, demographics, epidemiology, host factors, and clinical characteristics of persistent HCV‐6 infection in China need further characterization. This multicenter study enrolled 63 patients with persistent HCV‐6 infection and 63 patients with persistent HCV‐1 infection as controls. Blood biochemistry, quantitation of HCV RNA levels, and identification of host IL‐28B genotypes (rs12979860, rs8099917, and rs12980275) and ITPA genotype (rs1127354) were performed to estimate potential variability in host factors that may affect response to treatment. The mean HCV‐6 RNA level (3.8E6 IU/ml) was significantly higher than that in patients infected with HCV‐1 (1.7E6 IU/ml; P 0.05). The inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase (ITPA) SNP rs1127354 CC genotype was present in 66.7% of patients infected with HCV‐6, comparable to that of patients infected with HCV‐1 (65.1%; P > 0.05). There were no differences in the liver function, proportion of hepatic cirrhosis patients or patients with increased serum glucose between these two groups. Persistent HCV‐6 infection in Chinese Han is found mainly in the southern China. Chinese Han with chronic HCV‐1 or HCV‐6 infection have IL‐28B genotypes, suggesting responsiveness to interferon‐based pharmacotherapy. Most patients (67%) possess the ITPA genotype associated with susceptibility to ribavirin‐induced hemolysis. The routes of transmission for HCV‐6 genotype were more diversified than HCV‐1 genotype. The outbreak of HCV‐6 infection through blood transfusion progressed faster than HCV‐1. J. Med. Virol. 85:1163–1169, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.