Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection and the IL28B genotype polymorphism among blood donors and high-risk populations

• Published in: Singapore medical journal Vol. 60; no. 1; pp. 34 - 39
• Main Authors: Soh, Benjy Yi-Min, Kumar, Rajneesh, Ekstrom, Victoria Sze-Min, Lin, Clement Yi-Hao, Thangaraju, Sobhana, Tan, Hwee Huang, Chan, Kwai Peng, Choong, Lina Hui Lin, Teo, Diana, Chow, Wan Cheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Singapore Medical Association 01.01.2019
• Subjects: Acute Kidney Injury - blood; Acute Kidney Injury - complications; Adult; Alleles; Blood Donors; Female; Genotype; Hepatitis C - epidemiology; Humans; Interferons; Interleukins - genetics; Male; Middle Aged; Original; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Prevalence; Renal Dialysis; Singapore - epidemiology; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - blood; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - epidemiology; Young Adult; Singapore; IL28B; prevalence; Singapore; hepatitis C; HCV genotype
• ISSN: 0037-5675; 2737-5935
• DOI: 10.11622/smedj.2018078

To study the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in blood donor (BD), haemodialysis (HD) and intravenous drug user (IVDU) populations in Singapore and assess the IL28B polymorphism if HCV positive. The BD population were healthy volunteers, the HD population were patients who were on haemodialysis for at least six months of follow-up between January 2009 and December 2014. IVDU population was from inmates at halfway houses who consented. Between 2011 and 2014, of 161,658 individuals who underwent screening prior to blood donation, 95 (0.059%) were positive for HCV. Of the 42 sera available, common genotypes (GTs) were GT-3 (47.6%) and GT-1 (31.0%). Of 1,575 HD patients, 2.2% were anti-HCV positive. The HCV GT distribution was HCV GT-1 (32.4%), HCV GT-3 (20.5%) and GT-6 (8.8%). 83 halfway house inmates were screened. Of the 47 IVDUs, 36.2% were anti-HCV positive with predominant GT-3 (%). IL28B polymorphism was noted to be CC predominantly 85.3%. Prevalence of HCV infection has decreased in both the BD and HD populations. However, it remains high in the IVDU population. GT-1 remains the most common in the HD population; however, GT-3 infection is now more common among the BD population in Singapore. IL28B - CC is the predominant variant among the HCV-infected individuals in Singapore.