Genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus among Lebanese patients: Results from a major tertiary care center

Abstract Aims The determination of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype is a crucial element in the therapeutic management of HCV infected patients. Studies showed that different treatment responses were obtained for different genotypes. The aim of this research study is to assess the distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes in chronic HCV patients from a major tertiary care center in Lebanon. Materials and methods For all HCV patients referred for viral load testing at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, we reviewed the HCV genotyping results for 203 patients positive for HCV RNA using the Linear Array Genotyping kit. Results HCV genotypes were distributed as follows: Genotype 1 (39.6 42.86%), Genotype 3 (27.6 26.11%), Genotype 4 (26.0 24.63%), Genotype 2 (3.6 3.45%), and Genotype 5 (3.1 2.96%). Genotype 6 was not detected in any case from our patient population. Conclusion Unlike previous studies in the country, our study interestingly showed a shift in viral genotype from Genotype 4 as the most predominant few years back to a current Genotype 1 predominance. Future epidemiological investigations, especially in light of these interesting results which differ from other populations in the Middle East region and show HCV viral profile changes, are warranted.