GENETIC DIVERSITY OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS

丙型肝炎病毒(丙型肝炎病毒)是大多数病例的病原体 美国的输血相关性肝炎(TAH)。丙型肝炎病毒病 也可以通过静脉或经皮血液接触感染 静脉注射药物滥用和职业接触血液传播 病原体。减少疾病发病率的倡议包括捐赠者 血液测试和疫苗研究。前者已经导致了 降低丙型肝炎病毒传播的风险。智能网的发展 有效的疫苗受到病毒基因多样性的阻碍。AS 这种多样性的证据越来越多，看起来似乎是 病毒(至少有4种病毒在美国、日本和 欧亚大陆)，而第二个是发生在 随着时间的推移而变得紧张。后者是本研究的主题。 调查人员提议获取30至50人的储存血清， 不止一次被转介进行丙型肝炎病毒检测。正性 筛查测试通常在六个月内重复进行。比较级的 基因组中预先选择的结构区域的变异分析 第一个样品和后续样品之间的关系将在样品上进行 阳性的确证测试。据推测，观察到的变化 不会是随机的。对这一过程的更好理解将推动 丙型肝炎疫苗和治疗倡议。

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the etiologic agent in the majority of cases of transfusion associated hepatitis (TAH) in the United States. HCV disease can also be contracted by intravenous or percutaneous blood exposure such as intravenous drug abuse, and occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens. Initiative to reduce the incidence of the disease include donor blood testing, and research on vaccines. The former has already resulted in a reduction of the risk of transmission of HCV. The development of an effective vaccine is hampered by the genetic diversity of the virus. As evidence for this diversity accumulates, it appears that strains of the virus ( at least 4 of which have been described in the U.S., Japan and Eurasia), while the second is the evolutionary change which occur in a strain over time. The later is the subject of this study. The investigators propose to obtain stored sera of 30 to 50 persons who have been referred for testing for HCV on more than one occasion. Positive screening tests are often repeated within six months. A comparative analysis of preselected structural regions in the genome for variation between the first and subsequent samples will be done on sample with positive confirmatory tests. It is hypothesized that the observed changes will not be random. A better understanding of the process will further the vaccine and treatment initiative on HCV.