The Roma population is a European ethnic minority characterized by recent and multiple dispersals and founder effects. After their origin in South Asia around 1,500 years ago, they migrated West. In Europe, they diverged into ethnolinguistically distinct migrant groups that spread across the continent. Previous genetic studies based on genome-wide data and uniparental markers detected Roma founder events and West-Eurasian gene flow. However, to the best of our knowledge, it has not been assessed whether these demographic processes have equally affected both sexes in the population. The present study uses the largest and most comprehensive dataset of complete mitochondrial and Y chromosome Roma sequences to unravel the sex-biased patterns that have shaped their genetic history. The results show that the Roma maternal genetic pool carries a higher lineage diversity from South Asia, as opposed to a single paternal South Asian lineage. Nonetheless, the European gene flow events mainly occurred through the maternal lineages; however, a signal of this gene flow is also traceable in the paternal lineages. We also detect a higher female migration rate among European Roma groups. Altogether, these results suggest that sociocultural factors influenced the emergence of sex-biased genetic patterns at global and local scales in the Roma population through time.

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The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes depends on geographical location. HCV genotyping is important for epidemiological investigations and treatment management. The aim of this study was to determine the HCV genotype prevalence in the most prominent risk groups in the Republic of Macedonia in the last 5 years and to evaluate its association with patient's age, gender, and mode of transmission. A total of 1,167 HCV positive patients, divided into three risk groups (intravenous drug use, chronic hemodialysis, and other risk factor), were genotyped using an in-house ASO hybridization method with genotype-specific oligonucleotide probes. The genotypes 1, 2, and 3 were present with 52.2%, 0.6%, and 47.0%, respectively. Genotype 1 was most prevalent in hemodialysis (89.0%) and other risk factor group (53.8%). It was found associated independently with hemodialysis, age >40 and female gender. Genotype 3 predominated in intravenous drug users (64.0%) and was associated significantly also with age ≤40 and male gender. Multivariable logistic regression analysis pointed out hemodialysis (P < 0.0001, Exp (B) = 12.0) as a positive predictor factor for genotype 1 and age ≤40 (P = 0.021, Exp (B) = 1.8) and intravenous drug use (P < 0.0001, Exp (B) = 8.4) as a positive predictor factors for genotype 3. In conclusion, the main transmission route of HCV infection in the Republic of Macedonia is intravenous drug use, followed by hemodialysis. HCV genotypes 1 and 3 dominate in these two most prominent risk groups in the Republic of Macedonia.

Author contributions: Concept -M.D-C., E.S-S.; Supervision -I.F.; Materials -M.D-C., E.S.S., V.L., V.I.; Data Collection&/or Processing -B.Z., V.I.; Analysis&/or Interpretation -M.D-C., E.S-S., V.I.; Literature Search -M.D-C., E.S-S., V.L., V.I.; Writing -M.D-C., E.S-S., V.I.; Critical Reviews -I.F.

died by the end of the year 2011. The most common causes of death were either related to liver diseases: viral hepatitis, cirrhosis and cancer, caused by alcohol abuse and intoxications or by accidents or suicides. HCV-infected individuals appear to die younger than the average Finnish people. The most common way to contract HCV infection in Finland is intravenous drug use. HCV-antibody prevalence among intravenous drug users in Finland was over 60% in 2009 and over 40% among studied inmates in 2006. HCV prevalence among pregnant women has increased from 0.19% to 0.64% during 1985-2010. However, among blood donors HCV prevalence has been clearly decreasing being 0.006% in 2011. According to HCVgenotyping studies the main HCV-genotypes circulating in Finland belong to 3a, 1a, 1b and 2b subtypes. P5Prevalence of hepatitis C virus genotypes in four risk groups in the Republic of Macedonia S Kiprijanovska, K Davalieva, P Noveski, E Sukarova-Stefanovska, D Plaseska-Karanfilska and M Polenakovic Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Skopje, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes depends on geographic location (1). HCV genotyping is highly important for severity of infection assessment as well as for epidemiological investigations (2). The aim of our study was to determine the HCV genotype prevalence in four different risk groups [intravenous drug users (IDU), hemodialysis patients, patient undergoing transfusion and other risk factors (persons exposed to contaminant needles or sharps, medical or dental procedures, piercing, tattooing, etc.)] in the Republic of Macedonia and to evaluate its association with patient's age, gender and mode of transmission. METHOD: Detection of HCV was done by using commercial assay (AMPLICOR HCV v2.0). HCV genotyping was performed with an ASO hybridization method using specific oligonucleotide probes for HCV genotypes 1-4 (3). SUMMARY OF RESULTS: A total of 613 HCV positive patients were investigated. The prevalence of HCV infection in the different risk groups was found to be 51.53% in IDU, 47.91% in hemodialysis group, 14.81% in patient undergoing transfusion and 25% in the group of other risk factors. The genotypes 1, 2 and 3 were present with 52.7%, 0.7% and 46.3% respectively, while mixed infections (G1/G3 and G1/G2) were present with 0.3%. Genotype 1 was the most prevalent genotype in hemodialysis (93.6%), transfusion (50%) and other risk factor group (68.8%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis pointed out age >40 [p < 0.0001, Exp (B) = 2.13] and hemodialysis mode of transmission [p < 0.0001, Exp (B) = 14.58] as a positive predictor factor for genotype 1. Genotype 3 was the most frequent genotype in the IDU group (64.4%), followed by genotype 1 (35.4%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis using genotype 3 as a dependent variable and age <40 and IDU mode of transmission as independent variables confirmed these two factors [p < 0.0001, Exp (B) = 2.38 and p < 0.0001, Exp (B) = 13.76, respect...