GB virus C and hepatitis C virus infections in hemodialysis patients in eight Japanese centers.
RNA of a putative non-A to E hepatitis virus, designated GB virus C (GBV-C), was detected in 40 (6.2%) of 645 hemodialysis patients, at a frequency significantly higher than in 3 (0.9%) of 336 blood donors in Japan (p < 0.001). A history of transfusion was more frequent (88 vs. 58%, p < 0.001), the duration of dialysis was longer (13.2 +/- 7.9 vs. 7.9 +/- 6.5 years, p < 0.001), and the detection of hepatitis C virus RNA was more often (38 vs. 18%, p < 0.01) in the 40 patients with GBV-C RNA than in the 605 patients without it. The prevalence of GBV-C RNA varied widely from 0 to 10% among the 8 dialysis centers. These results indicate that hemodialysis patients would be at increased risk of GBV-C transmitted by transfusions. The detection of GBV-C RNA in the 5 patients without a history of transfusion and a high prevalence restricted to certain dialysis centers would reflect nosocomial infection.
Watanabe
T
T
Maruyama Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan.
Ishiguro
M
M
Kametani
M
M
Sugai
Y
Y
Takakuwa
K
K
Akahane
Y
Y
Masuko
K
K
Shimizu
M
M
Kojima
M
M
Fujita
K
K
Tsuda
F
F
Okamoto
H
H
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001782:Blood Donors; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013997:Time Factors
D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase