GB virus C (GBV-C)/hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection among intravenous drug users in Japan.
A sero-epidemiologic survey of 74 IVDUs and 86 age-matched controls was performed to investigate the prevalence, clinical significance, and genetic distribution of GB virus C (GBV-C)/hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection among intravenous drug users (IVDUs) in Japan. GBV-C/HGV RNA was detected by reverse transcriptase-hemi-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-hemi-nested PCR) for the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) in 43.2% (32/79) of the IVDUs compared with 1.2% (1/86) of the controls (P < 0.001). The duration of drug use did not correlate with the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV. Thirteen subjects positive for GBV-C/HGV RNA without HCV RNA had normal serum aminotransferase concentrations. Phylogenetic tree showed that the 32 GBV-C/HGV-positive isolates from IVDUs were classified within a new GBV-C/HGV group, which has been identified mainly in Asian subjects (type 3). The present study illustrated, (1) the high incidence of GBV-C/HGV infection among Japanese IVDUs, (2) GBV-C/HGV alone may not be an important pathogenic factor for hepatic injury, and (3) type 3 GBV-C/HGV was the most prevalent among IVDUs in Japan.
Noguchi
S
S
Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
Sata
M
M
Suzuki
H
H
Ohba
K
K
Mizokami
M
M
Tanikawa
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*
D012367:RNA, Viral