Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection in an area of hyperendemicity in Southern Italy: a population-based study.

In a cohort of subjects form Italy, anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HCV RNA (HCV (+) subgroup) prevalences were 24.6 and 79.6% respectively, HCV types 1b and 2a/c accounted for 95% of infections. Adjusted alanine aminotransferase levels were higher in males than in females and in RNA-positive subjects than in RNA-negative subjects regardless of HCV type. Genotype distribution was unrelated to demographic variables.