title: GB virus C and hepatitis C virus infections in hemodialysis patients in eight Japanese centers.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Maruyama Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kametani
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takakuwa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akahane
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masuko
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okamoto
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase