Hepatitis G virus RNA in the serum of patients with elevated gamma glutamyl transpeptidase and alkaline phosphatase: a specific liver disease? [corrected].
We tested the sera of 67 consecutive patients for hepatitis G virus (HGV) RNA by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). These patients (42 males and 25 females, median age 35 years, range 13-64 years) had liver disease of unknown aetiology and were without markers of hepatitis (A-E) viruses or signs of genetically determined, autoimmune, alcoholic or drug-induced liver disease. The controls in this study were 110 patients (50 females and 60 males, median age 45 years, range 9-65 years) with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (19 patients) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (91 patients). Ten of 67 (14.9%) patients with cryptogenic disease were positive for HGV RNA by at least three separate tests; HGV RNA was also detected in one of 19 (5.3%) hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers and in nine of 91 (16.6%) patients with antibody to HCV. These data suggest that HGV occurs as frequently in HCV-infected patients as in those with cryptogenic disease. Elevated serum gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) (higher than twice the normal value) and alkaline phosphatase levels were found in eight of 10 (80%) HGV RNA positive patients and in six of 57 (10.5%) HGV RNA negative patients (P < 0.0001). Five (50%) HGV RNA positive patients had non-specific inflammatory bile duct lesions. A statistically significant difference was observed between HGV RNA positive and negative patients with chronic HBV or HCV infections (P < 0.029). Therefore, the spectrum of liver disease associated with HGV is wide, but a characteristic lesion of the bile duct leading to elevation of cholestatic enzymes might be specific for this virus.
Colombatto
P
P
Microbiology and Virology Laboratory, Ospedale Civile Maggiore di Verona, Italy.
Randone
A
A
Civitico
G
G
Monti Gorin
J
J
Dolci
L
L
Medaina
N
N
Oliveri
F
F
Verme
G
G
Marchiaro
G
G
Pagni
R
R
Karayiannis
P
P
Thomas
H C
HC
Hess
G
G
Bonino
F
F
Brunetto
M R
MR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
D012367:RNA, Viral; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase