Genotyping of hepatitis C virus isolates from Lebanese hemodialysis patients by reverse transcription-PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of 5' noncoding region

Abstract

We have genotyped the 5' noncoding region of hepatitis C virus in Lebanese hemodialysis patients by reverse transcription-PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Of 50 patients, 15 had the expected 268-bp amplicon by reverse transcription-PCR. Specificity of the amplicons was confirmed by Southern hybridization. Restriction analysis of the amplicons showed the pattern for genotype 4 (common in the Middle East).