GB virus-C RNA in Japanese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis.
OBJECTIVE
The involvement of non-B, non-C virus in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not yet known. We have therefore examined the occurrence of GBV-C RNA in such patients.


METHODS
One hundred and eleven patients diagnosed as having HCC and 67 patients with cirrhosis without HCC were examined for the prevalence of GBV-C RNA by nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction with primers located at the helicase region. Sera were obtained and kept at -20 degrees C until analysis.


RESULTS
GBV-C RNA was positive in 11/111 (9.9%) cases with HCC, in 10/74 (13.5%) anti-HCV positive cases, in 1/25 (4%) HBsAg positive cases, and in 0/8 (0%) anti-HCV and HBsAg negative cases. GBV-C RNA was also positive in 7/67 (10.4%) cases with cirrhosis, in only 1/18 (5.6%) anti-HCV and HBsAg negative cases, in 4/33 (12.1%) anti-HCV positive, and in 2/14 (14.3%) HBsAg positive cases. The clinical background of patients with anti-HCV positive HCC who were also positive for GBV-C RNA did not differ from the background of those negative for GBV-C RNA.


CONCLUSIONS
GBV-C is unlikely to be a major etiologic agent of non-B, non-C chronic liver diseases and HCC in Japan.
Kanda
T
T
First Department of Medicine, Chiba University School of Medicine, Japan.
Yokosuka
O
O
Imazeki
F
F
Tagawa
M
M
Ehata
T
T
Saisho
H
H
Omata
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000821:virology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification
D012367:RNA, Viral