Hepatitis G virus infection in normal and prospectively followed posttransfusion children.
A recently identified RNA virus, hepatitis G virus (HGV), has been investigated for its role in causing non-A-E hepatitis. The frequency and clinical outcome of HGV infection in children was studied. Two hundred apparently healthy children aged 6 mo to 12 y, and 90 children who had undergone open heart surgery in a prospective study for posttransfusion hepatitis were included in this study. The serum samples were tested for HGV RNA by nested reverse transcription-PCR with primers from the 5'-untranslated region. The HGV RNA viremic rate was found to be 1% (2/200) in apparently healthy children, 30% in children after open heart surgery. Among the 90 children, three were HGV-infected before the surgery. Twenty-four (28%) of the remaining 87 children tested positive for HGV RNA within 6 mo after the surgery. Sixty-five percents of these viremic children eventually became persistently infected at 1 y after surgery. No HGV RNA-positive children exhibited elevated alanine aminotransferase levels during the follow-up period. No coinfections of HGV with the hepatitis C virus or hepatitis B virus were found. Patients of younger age appeared more likely to become chronic carriers. Anti-HCV screening did not reduce the prevalence of HGV infection. In conclusion, in children with open heart surgery, the risk of transfusion-transmitted HGV infection and the chronicity rate have been found to be high. Young age is a risk factor of persistent infection.
Chen
H L
HL
Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Republic of China.
Chang
M H
MH
Ni
Y H
YH
Hsu
H Y
HY
Kao
J H
JH
Chen
P J
PJ
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures; D065227:Transfusion Reaction