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<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Background</jats:title> <jats:p>Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects 71 million individuals, mostly residing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) give high rates of sustained virological response (SVR) in high-income countries where a restricted range of HCV genotypes/subtypes circulate.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Methods</jats:title> <jats:p>We studied United Kingdom–resident patients born in Africa to examine DAA effectiveness in LMICs where there is far greater breadth of HCV genotypes/subtypes. Viral genome sequences were determined from 233 patients.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>Full-length viral genomic sequences for 26 known subtypes and 5 previously unidentified isolates covering 5 HCV genotypes were determined. From 149 patients who received DAA treatment/retreatment, the overall SVR was 93%. Treatment failure was associated primarily with 2 subtypes, gt1l and gt4r, using sofosbuvir/ledipasvir. These subtypes contain natural resistance-associated variants that likely contribute to poor efficacy with this drug combination. Treatment failure was also significantly associated with hepatocellular carcinoma.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title> <jats:p>DAA combinations give high SVR rates despite the high HCV diversity across the African continent except for subtypes gt1l and gt4r, which respond poorly to sofosbuvir/ledipasvir. These subtypes are widely distributed across Western, Central, and Eastern Africa. Thus, in circumstances where accurate genotyping is absent, ledipasvir and its generic compounds should not be considered as a recommended treatment option.</jats:p> </jats:sec> |
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