Prevalence of hepatitis G virus in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are known to be associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we investigated the prevalence of the newly described hepatitis G virus (HGV) in patients with HCC. The sera of 85 patients (66 male, 19 female, 61 +/- 11 years) with HCC were studied for the presence of HGV RNA by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Seventeen (20%) of 85 patients with HCC, 10 (16%) of 61 patients with chronic hepatitis B without HCC and 14 (20%) of 68 patients with chronic hepatitis C without HCC were infected with HGV, a significantly higher proportion when compared with two (2%) of 85 healthy controls (P < 0.01). When grouped according to the underlying cause of liver disease, HCC patients with HBV infection (33%), HCV infection (21%), alcoholic liver disease (17%), or cryptogenic cirrhosis (15%) had similar serum levels of HGV RNA. Four of the 17 (24%) HGV-positive patients with HCC were coinfected with HBV and six (35%) with HCV; thus, 59% of HGV-positive patients with HCC were coinfected with other hepatotropic viruses. Seven (41%) HGV-positive patients were infected with HGV only. Patients with HGV infection were more likely to have a history of blood transfusion than patients without HGV infection (P = 0.024). Hence, the prevalence of HGV is significantly higher in patients with HCC in comparison with the healthy population.
Müller
C
C
Universitätsklinik für Innere Medizin IV, Klinische Abteilung Gastroenterologie und Hepatologie, Vienna, Austria.
Pfeffel
F
F
Peck-Radosavljevic
M
M
Petermann
D
D
Oesterreicher
C
C
Pidlich
J
J
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood
D012367:RNA, Viral