Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be classified into six major genotypes. The HCV genotypes variability accounts for its geographical distribution, its responses to treatments and the clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of HCV genotypes among volunteer blood donors in Thailand. Samples from 135 anti-HCV positive blood donors were analyzed. HCV RNA and genotyping was carried out using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genotype-specific primer PCR for a portion of the core region. HCV RNA was detected in 109 samples (80.7%). Genotype analysis demonstrated four different genotypes. The most common was genotype 3a (36.7%), followed by genotype 6 (29.4%), 1a (19.3%), 1b (6.4%) and mixed infection (1.8%). Seven samples were untyped (6.4%) in the present study. In several previous reports, the prevalence found in Thailand was HCV genotypes 3, 1 and 6. The present results show an increasing importance of the genotype 6 in HCV infections. This study has also described for the first time in Thailand mixed infections of HCV genotypes.

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ABSTRACT:The hepatitis C virus (HCV) contains seven genotypes heterogeneously distributed around the world. HCV displays a high genetic diversity relevant to epidemiology, transmission, and clinical management. To explore the genetic variation of HCV in a local Thai population, we investigated the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) pattern of the core gene in 31 samples of HCV genotype 3a found in blood donors. The polymorphisms of these HCVs were clustered into five RFLP patterns (IV). Fifteen samples (48%) clustered as the RFLP pattern I and ten samples (32%) as pattern III profiles which have been previously reported. In addition, there were four samples (13%) manifest as pattern II, one sample (3%) as pattern IV, and one sample (3%) as pattern V. This study provides pointers to the molecular epidemiology of HCV genotype 3a distributed in Thailand.