APPLYCATION OF THE MOLECULAR BIOLOGYCAL TECHNIQUES IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF VIRAL HEPATITIS C AT THE PASTEUR INSTITUTE IN HO CHI MINH CITY

 

Vu Thi Thuy Yen, Ha Quynh Huong, Nguyen Anh Dao, Truong Xuan Lien

Pasteur Institute in HoChiMinh City

 

Introduce

Hepatitis C (HCV) is one of the important liver disease in HCMC. The high prevalence of HCV infection can go on to develop chronic hepatitis with serious disease such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The serological detection of HCV antibodies is late and doesn’t allow us to determine the progress stage of disease. The subtypes of HCV are different in their geographical distribution, antigenicity, level of viremia, severity of disease produced and in the response to treatment. The determination of the current HCV subtypes is an important question in the reseach of vaccine and the treatment surveillance.

OBJECTIVE

1.       Applying the PCR technique in diagnostis, studying and surveillance the treatment.

2.       Determination the current subtype HCV in HoChiMinh City.

SUbjects and Methods

1. Subjects:

Sera from patients who come to Pasteur Institute for anti HCV antibody testing.

Sera from blood donnors at the Red Cross Foundation HCMC.

2. Methods:

Serological HCV was carried out by ELISA technique with the reagent from Abbott: Murex anti - HCV (version 4.0).

RT-PCR technique for HCV pos itive samples to detect RNA virus

Some positive PCR samples were choosen in random to detect serotype by Murex HCV Serotyping 1 – 6 Assay.

The detection of HCV genotype will carry out in the next period.

Results

1. The prevalence of HCV infection:

In the Pasteur patient group: 459/2812 (16%)

In the blood donnor group: 376/20160 (1.86%)

2. PCR positive:

In the Pasteur patient group: 118/159 = 74%

In the blood donnor group: 62/78 = 82%

3. Serotype:

In the Pasteur patient group: Carried out on 39 samples. Serotype 1: 11 (28.2%); 2: 2 (5.1%); 3: 1 (2.56%); 6: 6(15.38%); untypeable: 19 (48.7%)

In the blood donnor group: Carried out on 44 samples. Serotype 1: 5 (11.4%); 2: 3 (6.8%); 3: 1 (2.3%); 4: 1 (2.3%); 6: 9 (20.5%); untypeable: 25 (56.8%)

Conclusion

-         The prevalence of infection: 16% in the HCV suspected patients group.

-         The current serotype: type 1 and 6.

-         The rate of sero untype is rather high: 50%. Serotyping is necessary in the next study.