Suboptimal sustained viral (SVR) response in African atypical genotype 1 hepatitis C infection

In a study of hepatitis C treatment of African patients in UK, 47
(52 %) of 91 consecutive patients had unusual subtypes. Fourteen
novel subtypes not yet designated were found. Three individuals
were infected with the same subtype designated 1p. 22
of the patients had baseline sequence available and 18/22 (82%)
had NS5A resistance associated mutations. SVR rate in 28 patients
with unusual subtype genotype 1 was only 75 % compared
to 100 % SVR in 35 patients with all other genotypes.

Ref; Childs et al. J Hepatology 2019; doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2019.07.025.

Comment: Very few treatment studies of hepatitis C have been
performed in sub-Saharan African countries. The relatively
low rate of SVR in patients with unusual subtypes may indicate
that these unusual subtypes are more difficult to treat. To
address this potential problem large treatment studies have to
be performed in low income countries with unusual serotypes.
To achieve the goal of global elimination of hepatitis C optimal
therapy for these new subtypes have to be defined.