Does hepatitis GB virus-C infection cause hepatocellular carcinoma in black Africans?
The newly cloned and characterized hepatitis GB virus-C (HGBV-C), which is the same virus as the independently discovered hepatitis G virus, has a global distribution, is transmitted parenterally, and causes chronic viremia. The pathological consequences of infection with HGBV-C are uncertain, and its hepatocarcinogenic potential is unknown. We used a case-control format to compare the prevalence of HGBV-C infection in 167 southern African blacks with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 167 race-, age-, and sex-matched hospital-based control subjects, and to test for possible interactive effects between this virus and hepatitis B and C viruses in the development of the tumor. The presence of HGBV-C ribonucleic acid was detected in serum samples by reverse transcription, amplification of the resulting complementary deoxyribonucleic acid by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Southern hybridization using a probe from the NS3/helicase region of the genome. Serum samples were also tested for the presence of hepatitis B virus surface antigen, antibodies to hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid. Individuals infected with HGBV-C did not have an increased relative risk of developing HCC (relative risk 0.9; 95% confidence limits 0.5, 1.7). Moreover, co-infection with HGBV-C did not further increase the risk of tumor development in patients who were chronically infected with hepatitis B and/or C viruses. HGBV-C is unrelated to hepatocellular carcinoma development in black Africans.
Lightfoot
K
K
Department of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Skelton
M
M
Kew
M C
MC
Yu
M C
MC
Kedda
M A
MA
Coppin
A
A
Hodkinson
J
J
D001741:Black or African American; D044383:Black People; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013019:South Africa
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral