AI Article Synopsis
- The study explored the prevalence of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) infections among various groups in Athens, Greece, finding notable rates among patients with hepatitis and hemodialysis individuals.
- There was an observed age dependence in GBV-C/HGV seroprevalence, with younger individuals having higher chances of RNA positivity, while older individuals showed positivity for anti-E2 antibodies.
- Although GBV-C/HGV RNA presence was not significantly linked to liver enzyme levels, acute non-A-E hepatitis patients with the virus were more likely to experience severe symptoms, and phylogenetic analysis revealed common strains in Athens and a potentially new subtype.
Article Abstract
The relevance of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) infections in liver pathology remains unclear. To investigate the epidemiology of GBV-C/HGV in Athens, Greece, sera from 512 subjects were screened for present and past markers of GBV-C/HGV infection using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and a serological assay, respectively. GBV-C/HGV RNA was detected in 18/56 (32.1%), 12/42 (28.6%), and 16/55 (29.1%) patients with acute hepatitis B, C, or non-A-E, and in 5/58 (8.6%) and 18/68 (26.5%) patients with chronic hepatitis B or C, respectively, as well as in 50/133 (37.6%) hemodialysis patients and 10/100 (10%) healthy individuals. The data indicated that GBV-C/HGV seroprevalence is age-dependent; thus, GBV-C/HGV RNA and anti-E2 positivity were shown to be associated with younger age [odds ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0. 97-1.00, P = 0.017] and older age (odds ratio 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05, P = 0.002), respectively. No significant associations were identified between GBV-C/HGV RNA status and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in either hepatitis or hemodialysis patients. Nevertheless, GBV-C/HGV RNA-positive acute non-A-E hepatitis patients were more likely to manifest a more severe clinical form of acute hepatitis (P = 0.024). Phylogenetic analysis of partial 5'-untranslated region sequences isolated from 18 viremic individuals showed that most GBV-C/HGV strains circulating in the greater metropolitan area of Athens belong to the 2a subgroup. A genetically diverse type 2 sequence that may represent a novel subtype within group 2 was also characterized.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/1096-9071(200007)61:3<319::aid-jmv6>3.0.co;2-r | DOI Listing |
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