• Jyh-Jou Chen, Hung-Da Tung, Pei-Lun Lee, Hsing-Tao Kuo, Ming-Jen Sheu, Chun-Ta Cheng, Tang-Wei Chuang, Hsu-Ju Kao, Na-Mi Lu, Li-Ching Wu, and Chuan Lee.
• Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Liouying, Tainan, Taiwan. Electronic address: jjchen@mail.chimei.org.tw.
• J Formos Med Assoc. 2020 Jan 1; 119 (1 Pt 3): 413-419.

Background/PurposeAbbott RealTime Genotype II assay can effectively identify hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes (GTs), but some GT 6 subtypes might not be differentiated from GT 1. Abbott RealTime Genotype II PLUS and sequencing might be needed to resolve these ambiguous results. Unlike the high prevalence of GT 6 in Southeast Asia, GT 6 had rarely been reported in Taiwan except in intravenous drug abusers (IDU). But the prevalence of GT 6 in Taiwan might be underestimated. We conducted this study to determine the GTs in a HCV endemic area in Southern Taiwan.MethodsA total of 1147 patients with hepatitis C viremia for direct acting antivirals (DAA) treatment at the Chi Mei medical system in Tainan were enrolled. Genotype was determined using a working flow consisted of Abbott GT II, PLUS assays and 5' untranslated region (5' UTR)/core sequencing.ResultsAmong the 1147 patients, 883 (77.0%) obtained GT results by GT II, 264 (23.0%) samples with ambiguous results by GT II assay received further tests, including 194 (73.5%) with PLUS assay and 70 (26.5%) with 5'UTR/core sequencing. Nearly three-quarters (73.5%) of ambiguous results by GT II assay were GT 6. Overall, 18.3% of samples were GT 6. Phylogenetic study of 11 samples of GT 6 subtypes showed 7 (63.6%) were 6 g.ConclusionGT 6 is the major factor for high ambiguous rate by GT II. Unexpected high prevalence of GT 6 (18.3%) in Southern Taiwan, especially subtype 6 g, closely related to Indonesian strains, is first reported.Copyright © 2019 Formosan Medical Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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