Frequency Distribution of Hepatitis C Virus Genotypes with Reference to Age and Sex in Various Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Pakistan has the second highest prevalence of hepatitis C in the world after Egypt. Viral hepatitis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Pakistan and, worryingly, reinfection rates are also on the rise. This cross-sectional study was aimed at finding the most common genotypes of hepatitis C in terms of age and sex in a Pakistani cohort. Materials and methods: The authors collected blood samples from 1,260 patients with diagnosed hepatitis C visiting a primary teaching hospital affiliated with Peshawar Medical College, Pakistan, from different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, between January 2017 and April 2019. Hepatitis C virus RNA was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction and genotyping was then performed. Results: The authors found that genotype 3a was the most prevalent type followed by 1a, mixed, and 3b, respectively. Genotypes 2a and 1b were the least prevalent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The most common genotype was 3a, observed in 75.87% of cases. The most common mixed genotype was 3a+1a, observed in 39 cases (3.10%); it had a prevalence of 3.49% in females compared with 2.70% in males. Overall, the most common age group affected by hepatitis C virus was 41–50 years (31.35%), followed by the 51–60 years group (24.45%). Infection rate was comparatively low in other age groups. A significant difference was observed in the prevalence of genotype 3a and 2a among different districts. Conclusion: The authors concluded that genotype 3a was the most prevalent genotype and it was observed more frequently in the female population, with a median age of 45 years.