By PAUL HARASIM / RJ
A number of veterans as
well as doctors now
believe that Vietnam
veterans...could have
contracted hepatitis C
through unsafe jet gun
vaccinations.
While it’s possible the government’s position on transmission of hepatitis C among boomers may have resulted in less testing, it’s critical today boomers forget any fears of stigma and get the easy blood test.
Context Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects
up to 1.8% of the US general population,
although the rate is significantly
higher in military veterans at 5.4–20%.
Early detection and accurate diagnosis
are critical as chronic HCV infection
can lead to liver cirrhosis and
hepatocellular carcinoma. Genotype
analysis has both therapeutic and
prognostic importance in patients with
HCV infections.
Objective We compare two versions of a
commonly utilized platform for genotype
analysis in HCV infections and review
the implications of the results for
clinical practice.
Design A retrospective review of 9401
genotype results from 2001–2010 were
analyzed. All results were obtained from
the James A. Haley VA Medical Center, a
large referral veterans’ healthcare
facility.
Results Genotype 1 was identified in
80.1% of samples, genotype 2 in 11.1%,
genotype 3 in 7.4%, and genotype 4 in
1.2%. Genotypes 5 and 6 were rarely
present in our patient population.
Improvements in diagnostic methodologies
over the study period resulted in shifts
in genotype subtyping. Specifically,
upgrading from the Versant HCV genotype
assay (LIPA) (Siemens, Tarrytown, NY) to
the newer version 2.0 assay resulted in
an increase in identification of
genotype 1a by 18.5%.
Conclusions Improved technologies lead
to accurate genotype identification and
subtyping, both of which have
increasingly important prognostic and
therapeutic implications. The clinical
importance of these results in patients
with HCV infections is reviewed.
Which test is used to determine Veterans
exposed to same source infections?
Siemens Versant
HCV genotype assay LIPA
Siemens 2.0 assay
Specifically,
upgrading from the Versant HCV genotype assay (LIPA) (Siemens, Tarrytown, NY) to
the newer version 2.0 assay resulted in an increase in identification of
genotype 1a by 18.5%.
Improved
technologies lead to accurate genotype identification and subtyping, both of
which have increasingly important prognostic and therapeutic implications.
The clinical
importance of improved technology for HCV genotype assay offer accurate
genotype identification and subtyping of blood borne pathogen such as Hepatitis
C,
important
prognostic and therapeutic implications.
