Genetic diversity of genotype D3 in acute hepatitis B.

Acute hepatitis B related to injection drug use is often caused by HBV-D3, a subgenotype that probably was introduced in Western Europe in the 1960s. The aim of this study was to describe genetic change over time in injection drug use-related HBV-D3 in one geographic area. Fourteen complete genomes and partial genomic regions of 17 HBV strains of subgenotype D3 causing acute (n = 30) or chronic (n = 1) hepatitis B at different time points between 1975 and 2009 were investigated.

Core mutations, IL28B polymorphisms and response to peginterferon/ribavirin treatment in Swedish patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection.

Background: Patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 respond poorly to standard treatment with 50% or less achieving sustained virologic response. Predicting outcome is essential and could help avoid unnecessary treatment and reduce health cost. Recently, an association of amino acid substitutions in the core region and treatment outcome was observed in Japanese patients.

Genotype X/C recombinant (putative genotype I) of hepatitis B virus is rare in Hanoi, Vietnam--genotypes B4 and C1 predominate.

There are eight known genotypes of hepatitis B virus, A-H, and several subgenotypes, with rather well-defined geographic distributions. HBV genotypes were evaluated in 153 serum samples from Hanoi, Vietnam. Of the 87 samples that could be genotyped, genotype B was found in 67 (77%) and genotype C in 19 (22%).

Response prediction and treatment tailoring for chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection.

We monitored early viral response during the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with the aim of identifying predictors of treatment outcome. We studied 53 patients with genotype 1 infection who received 180 microg/week pegylated interferon alfa-2a and 1,000 or 1,200 mg/day ribavirin depending on body weight and serially assessed HCV RNA in serum, using the Cobas TaqMan assay. Thirty-one patients (58%) achieved sustained viral response (SVR).