Distribution Pattern of Various Genotypes of HCV Circulating in District Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

7 Abstract: Hepatitis "C" is an infectious liver disease, the infection of HCV is often asymptomatic and the chronic infection comes to be hepatocellular carcinoma, cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease. Six main genotypes of HCV and several subtypes are recognized worldwide. HCV genotypes play important role in distribution of frequency, clinical management and development of vaccine. Current article shows distribution frequency of HCV genotypes present in various tehsils of district Mardan of Khyber Pakhtoonkhaw, Pakistan.Sum of 375 patients were positive for HCV RNA by PCR and were screened using genotyping assay. Data analysis showed that 241 out of 375 PCR positive patients were male and 134 were female. 190, 110 and 75 patients came from tehsils of Mardan, Takhat Bhai and Katlang respectively. Results showed that: Out of the total screened patients, genotype specific PCR fragments were seen in 322 (85.8%) patient. The distribution of typeable genotypes was as follows: 39 patients (10.4%) with genotype 1a, 11 (2.9%) patients with genotype 1b; 227 (60.5%) patients infected with genotype 3a; 24 (6.4%) patients genotype 3b; and 21(5.6%) patients were with mixed genotypic infection. 53 (14.1%) serum samples were found un-typeable by the molecular genotyping assay used. in Conclusion It was concluded from the current research work that different genotypes of HCV such as 1a, 1b, 3a and 3b present in different tehsils of Mardan district and genotype 3a is most common genotype among general population of district Mardan.