Infection with GB virus C (GBV-C) in patients with fulminant hepatitis.
METHODS
There appear to be hepatitis viruses other than hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. One of these has been proposed with a designation of GB virus C. Sera from 44 patients with fulminant hepatitis were tested for RNA of GB virus C by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction with nested primers deduced from the putative non-structural 3 (helicase) region.


RESULTS
RNA of GB virus C was detected in three (20%) of 15 patients with hepatitis B virus infection and three (12%) of 25 patients without markers of hepatitis A-E virus infection. Overall, GB virus C RNA was detected in six (14%) of the 44 patients with fulminant hepatitis, at a frequency significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that in three (0.9%) of 326 blood donors matched for age with the patients.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate a role of GB virus C in inducing fulminant hepatitis either by itself or in concert with the other hepatitis viruses.
Tameda
Y
Y
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kosaka
Y
Y
Tagawa
S
S
Takase
K
K
Sawada
N
N
Nakao
H
H
Tsuda
F
F
Tanaka
T
T
Okamoto
H
H
Miyakawa
Y
Y
Mayumi
M
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D018388:Codon, Terminator / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000097:blood; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*
D018388:Codon, Terminator; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012367:RNA, Viral