Effect of interferon-alpha and ribavirin therapy on serum GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) RNA levels in patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus and GBV-C/HGV.
GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) is a newly described virus associated with hepatitis in humans, and GBV-C/HGV coinfection is common in patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). To determine the clinical impact of GBV-C/HGV infection in such patients and the effect of interferon-alpha and ribavirin therapy on serum GBV-C/HGV RNA levels, GBV-C/HGV RNA was detected and quantitated in serum samples from 62 chronically infected HCV patients by a combination of a qualitative nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and a newly developed quantitative branched DNA assay: 10 patients were positive for serum GBV-C/HGV RNA. There were no differences in the clinical, biochemical, and histologic features of the patients with GBV-C/HGV-HCV coinfection compared with those with HCV infection alone. Interferon-alpha treatment caused a marked but usually transient reduction in serum GBV-C/HGV RNA, and ribavirin had, at most, a modest antiviral effect.
Lau
J Y
JY
Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610, USA.
Qian
K
K
Detmer
J
J
Collins
M L
ML
Orito
E
E
Kolberg
J A
JA
Urdea
M S
MS
Mizokami
M
M
Davis
G L
GL
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014766:Viremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D007370:Interferon Type I; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin; D000410:Alanine Transaminase