Participants and samples

A total of 630 Saudi patients were studied at a tertiary reference hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (King Abdulaziz Medical City). They were confirmed as HCV positive with the HCV-RNA genotype amplification polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method in the period from 2007 to 2011. HCV genotype results were retrieved from the Molecular Pathology Laboratory (MPL) database with additional information related to socio-demographic characteristics, and liver biochemical profile. The viral load (IU/ml) of the diagnosed patients was also retrieved from the Laboratory Information System (LIS) and QuadraMed Clinical Pathology Record (QCPR) system. Patients with incomplete HCV genotype results were excluded.

The recorded variables included: age, sex, clinical diagnosis, genotype, and biochemical profile, mainly alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), alkaline phosphates (ALP) and total serum bilirubin measures. Other variables related to the HCV characteristics were recorded, including viral load [reported in international units per milliliter (IU/mL) and copies per milliliter] and co-infection with HBV or HIV.