Prevalence of hepatitis G virus RNA in French blood donors and recipients.
BACKGROUND
Recently, cases of chronic hepatitis were linked to the presence of genomic sequences of a newly described RNA virus termed hepatitis G virus (HGV) and belonging to the Flaviviridae family.


METHODS
The presence of HGV RNA was searched for by polymerase chain reaction in a population of blood donors and in patients who had received multiple blood component transfusions and/or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) infusions.


RESULTS
Twenty-one (4.2%) of 500 donors were positive for HGV RNA as were 21 (10.7%) of 196 nonimmunosuppressed patients who had received multiple transfusions of packed red cells, 4 (8.7%) of 46 common variable immune deficiency (CVID) patients who had received only IVIG, and 22 (24.7%) of 89 bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients who had received IVIG and cellular components. The proportion of HGV-positive individuals was significantly higher in the immunosuppressed recipients (CVID and BMT patients) than in the nonimmunosuppressed patients who were multiply transfused with packed red cells (p < 0.03). The proportion of HGV-positive individuals was significantly higher in the BMT patients who had received IVIG and cellular components than in the CVID patients who had received IVIG only (p < 0.03). Eight (17.0%) of the 47 HGV-positive recipients and 48 (16.9%) of the 284 HGV-negative recipients had a serum alanine aminotransferase level higher than the upper limit of normal (nonsignificant difference). The medical history of HGV-positive donors failed to reveal a particular at-risk event. The large majority of HGV-infected patients had a normal serum alanine aminotransferase level, and the proportion of patients with elevated alanine aminotransferase was the same in HGV-positive and in HGV-negative recipients.


CONCLUSIONS
The pathological significance of HGV infection remains unelucidated, and the classification of HGV as a new hepatitis virus was perhaps premature.
Loiseau
P
P
Etablissement de Transfusion Sanguine de l'Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Site Saint-Louis, France.
Mariotti
M
M
Corbi
C
C
Ravera
N
N
Girot
R
R
Thauvin
M
M
Portelette
E
E
Mariette
X
X
Roudot-Thoraval
F
F
Benbunan
M
M
Lefrère
J J
JJ
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006400:Hematocrit; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012744:Sex Ratio; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase