High prevalence of hepatitis G viremia among kidney transplant patients in Thailand.
Patients receiving kidney transplants (KT) are at high risk for blood borne viral infections. To determine the prevalence of a recently discovered hepatitis G virus (HGV) in this patient group, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) employing primers derived from the NS5 region of the viral genome was utilized. HGV RNA was detected in 40 of 94 KT patients (43%), as compared to 3 of 69 healthy subjects (4.3%). Cocirculation of HGV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA was detected in 12 patients (13%). Comparison of patients with and without HGV revealed that the former had received hemodialysis before transplantation for a significantly longer duration than the latter (28 vs. 17 months, respectively; P < 0.05). The amount of blood transfused and mean levels of liver enzymes, including alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase, and aspartate transaminase, were the same in both groups. Sequence analysis of 275-base pair DNA clones obtained from 2 patients revealed approximately 92% sequence homology to the published HGV and GB virus C sequences. These results suggested that HGV infection among Thai KT patients was high and the role of HGV in causing liver disease remains to be determined.
Raengsakulrach
B
B
Department of Virology, U.S. Army Medical Component, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand. rboony@mozart.inet.co.th
Ong-aj-yooth
L
L
Thaiprasert
T
T
Nilwarangkur
S
S
Ong-aj-yooth
S
S
Narupiti
S
S
Thirawuth
V
V
Klungthong
C
C
Snitbhan
R
R
Vaughn
D W
DW
D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014766:Viremia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins