Genotype Distribution of Hepatitis C Virus in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C in Muğla, Türkiye (2019-2024)

Objectives: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) continues to be an increasingly significant public health concern due to its substantial impact on morbidity and mortality.This study aims to determine the dynamic genotype (GT) distribution of HCV among HCV infections admitted to Mula Training and Research Hospital and to evaluate the relationship between HCV GTs and factors such as gender and age.Materials and Methods: A total of 230 patients with chronic HCV were included in the study between January 2019 and October 2024.Quantitative HCV-RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were performed using the Rotor-Gene Q real-time PCR system, and HCV genotyping was conducted with the PyroMark Q24 pyrosequencing system.Results: Among the 220 patients analyzed for HCV GTs, 69.5% were male, and 30.5% were female.The most prevalent GT was GT1, observed in 66.4% of cases.In females, the most common GT was 1b (58.2%), while in males, GT3a was the most frequent (35.9%).Of the patients, 90.9% (200) were Turkish, while 9.1% (20) were foreign nationals.The most common GT was GT1b, with frequencies of 34.0% and 70.0%respectively.On a yearly basis, GT1b was detected at the highest rates in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.In contrast, GT1a was most common in 2019, and GT3a was predominant in 2020.Regarding age groups, the highest prevalence was observed in the 18-30 age range (30.9%; 68 cases), while the lowest was in individuals under 18 years, with only one case. Conclusion:In our study, among patients tested for HCV GTs, GT1 was the most common GT, with a prevalence of 66.4%.This finding is consistent with many studies worldwide.The GT distribution was found to be associated with the patients' gender.The GT distribution was statistically significantly higher in the 18-30 age group among all age groups.