Chronic hepatitis C virus in the state of Piauí, northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Knowledge of genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has clinical importance due to genotype 1 lower response to treatment compared with genotypes 2 and 3. The goal of this survey was to describe clinical and laboratorial profiles of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in the State of Piauí, as well as to expand the overall awareness of the distribution of HCV genotyping in Northeast of Brazil. A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out between April 1999 and August 2005. A total of 153 patients were included, 119 (77.8%) males and 34 (22.2%) females; mean age = 48.01 ± 9.11 years. We observed a homogeneous distribution between genotypes 1 (50.0%) and 3 (49.0%), while the most frequent subtype noticed was 3a (49.0%). The mean viral load among patients with subtype 1b (1,232,476 UI/mL) was significantly superior to the subtype 1a (391,204 UI/mL; p = 0.010) and to the subtype 3a (594,228 UI/mL; p = 0.047). The average levels of gamma-glutamiltransferase of genotype 1 (144 mg/dL) had statistical differences when compared to genotype 3 (74 mg/dL; p = 0.014). Most patients showed mild to moderate degrees of histopathological necroinflammatory activity and hepatic fibrosis (79.0% and 56.2%, respectively). We concluded that most candidates to treatment of CHC in the State of Piauí presented with clinically stable hepatic illness; the distribution of genotypes 1 and 3 was virtually homogeneous; and there was no significant demographic or clinical differences among genotypes or subtypes of HCV.

Association between histological findings, aminotransferase levels and viral genotype in chronic hepatitis C infection

“…No difference in age was observed between patients infected with genotypes 1 and 3. Similar age profiles have been reported in patients in Piauí, Brazil 9 .…”

“…However, other studies were unable to confirm this association 7 . Brazilian studies correlating the different HCV genotypes with histological and clinical presentation are scarce and have not confirmed an association between liver disease severity and HCV genotype 8,9 .The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of HCV genotypes in patients with chronic hepatitis C in the State of Pará, Brazil and to investigate the influence of these genotypes on the biochemical and histopathological parameters of the disease. …”

“…However, other studies were unable to confirm this association 7 . Brazilian studies correlating the different HCV genotypes with histological and clinical presentation are scarce and have not confirmed an association between liver disease severity and HCV genotype 8,9 .…”

Distribution of hepatitis c virus (hcv) genotypes in patients with chronic infection from Rondônia, Brazil

“…In Salvador, Bahia state, genotype 3 was the most common genotype (53.3%), followed by genotypes 1 (40%) and 2 (6.7%) but, as the number of positive cases was small, other studies are necessary to confirm the high frequency of genotype 3 in Salvador [15]. Another study in Piauí state, Brazil, found 49.0% of subtype 3a, 26.0% of subtype 1a, 24.0% of subtype 1b and 1.0% of subtype 2b [38]. Furthermore, subtypes 1a (34.3%), 1b (30.0%) and 3a (25.7%) were frequently found in Brazilian blood donors, while 2b was rare, and 2a was not detected [39].…”

Metabolic and infectious pathologies in Brazilian medical literature: a review

“…Fonseca et al 61 developed a Markov model to mirror the natural disease history in cohorts of patients with hepatitis C virus who received peginterferon alpha-2b with ribavirin or interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin treatment for 48 or 24 weeks, according to their viral genotype and liver histology; they concluded that peginterferon alpha-2b with ribavirin is a cost-effective therapy for treating naïve chronic hepatitis C adult patients compared to the interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin regime, regardless of the viral genotype. Santos et al 62 described fulminant hepatic failure in eight adults and children from a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil caused by hepatitis B and one case of severe acute hepatitis caused by hepatitis A. Veras et al 63 described the prevalence of chronic hepatitis C virus in the state of Piaui in northeastern Brazil; Zahdi et al 64 examined the costs and benefits of preventing the disease by utilizing the vaccine for hepatitis A in the southern Brazilian state of Parana. Schulz et al 65 described the results of cerebral magnetic resonance spectroscopy in patients with hepatic encephalopathy with analysis before and after liver transplantation.…”