Changing of hepatitis C virus genotype patterns in France at the beginning of the third millenium: The GEMHEP GenoCII Study

C. Payan , F. Roudot-Thoraval (1) , P. Marcellin (2) , N. Bled , G. Duverlie , I. Fouchard-Hubert , P. Trimoulet (3) , P. Couzigou , D. Cointe , C. Chaput , C. Henquell (4) , A. Abergel , J. M. Pawlotsky , C. Hezode (5) , M. Coudé , A. Blanchi , Sophie Alain (6, 7) , Véronique Loustaud-Ratti (6, 8) , P. Chevallier , C. Trepo , V. Gerolami , I. Portal , P. Halfon (9) , M. Bourlière (10) , M. Bogard , E. Plouvier , C. Laffont , G. Agius , C. Silvain , V. Brodard , G. Thiefin , C. Buffet-Janvresse , G. Riachi , F. Grattard , T. Bourlet , F. Stoll-Keller (11) , M. Doffoel (12) , Jacques Izopet , K. Barange , M. Martinot-Peignoux , M. Branger , A. Rosenberg , P. Sogni , Marie-Laure Chaix (13) , S. Pol (14) , Valérie Thibault , P. Opolon , A. Charrois , L. Serfaty (15) , B. Fouqueray , J. D. Grange , J. J. Lefrère , F. Lunel-Fabiani

1 Service de santé publique [Mondor]
2 Service d'hépatologie
3 Service de virologie et d'immunologie biologique
4 CHU Clermont-Ferrand
5 Service d'hépato-gastro-entérologie [APHP Henri Mondor]
6 EA3175 - Biologie moléculaire et cellulaire des microorganismes
7 UNILIM - Université de Limoges
8 Service de Bactériologie, Virologie, Hygiène [CHU Limoges]
9 Laboratoire alphabio
10 Service d'Hépato-gastroentérologie
11 Interaction virus-hôte et maladies du foie
12 Service d'hépato-gastroentérologie
13 Laboratoire de Virologie [CHU Necker]
14 Service d'hépatologie médicale [CHU Cochin]
15 CHU Saint-Antoine [AP-HP]

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate, during a short period between 2000 and 2001, in a large population of patients with chronic hepatitis C, the epidemiological characteristics of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in France. Data from 26 referral centres, corresponding to 1769 patients with chronic hepatitis C were collected consecutively during a 6-month period. HCV genotyping in the 5'-non-coding region (NCR) was performed in each center using the line probe assay (LiPA, in 63% of cases), sequencing (25%) or primer-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (12%). HCV genotypes 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4, 5, non-subtyped 1 and mixed infection were found in 18, 27, 9, 21, 9, 3, 11 and 1% of our population, respectively. HCV genotype distribution was associated with gender, age, source and duration of infection, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, cirrhosis, alcohol consumption, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection. In multivariate analysis, only the source of infection was the independent factor significantly associated with genotype (P = 0.0001). In conclusion, this study shows a changing pattern of HCV genotypes in France, with i.v. drug abuse as the major risk factor, an increase of genotype 4, and to a lesser extent 1a and 5, and a decrease of genotypes 1b and 2. The modification of the HCV genotype pattern in France in the next 10 years may require new therapeutic strategies, and further survey studies.

Domaines: Maladies infectieuses; Bactériologie; Virologie

C. Payan, F. Roudot-Thoraval, P. Marcellin, N. Bled, G. Duverlie, et al.. Changing of hepatitis C virus genotype patterns in France at the beginning of the third millenium: The GEMHEP GenoCII Study. Journal of Viral Hepatitis, 2005, 12 (4), pp.405-413. ⟨10.1111/j.1365-2893.2005.00605.x⟩. ⟨hal-00405650⟩