The Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a single-strand and positive-sense RNA virus of the Hepacivirus genus in the Flaviviridae family (1). According to the organization of the HCV genome, the virus is divided into 7 genotypes and more than 60 subtypes. The seven genotypes of this virus are seen in all over the world. It is known that HCV genotype one and four are hard to treat, while genotype 2 and 3 have more comfortable treatment. Thus, identification of HCV genotype in infected patients is essential to begin and following treatment process (2).
Hepatitis C virus infection is a major global problem, and more than 170 million people across the world are infected with this virus (3). In reviewing of reports from Iran, the prevalence rate of HCV infection in general population is nearly 0.5% (1.0% in men, and 0.1% in women) (4), and this infection is more common in Iranian intravenous drug users (IVDUs), hemophilic, and thalasemic patients, and in undergoing hemodialysis patients (5-7).
The HCV is considered as originally hepatotropic (8), but the sequences of this virus has been found in other extrahepatic sites such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), bone marrow and the central nervous system of infected patients.
Approximately 40 million people in worldwide are infected with this virus (19). Persons who infected with the HIV is likely to be at risk for other infectious pathogens, such as HCV. Both of these pathogens can infect people through a similar ways for example, sexual intercourse, intravenous drug abuse, blood transfusions and from a mother to her child. Due to the common route of transmission of infection with these two viruses, people may become co-infected with them at the same time (20). It has been shown that the majority of HIV positive individuals who have had history of intravenous drug abuse are infected with HCV at the same time