Clinical significance of hepatitis G virus infection in patients on long-term haemodialysis.
Infection with the newly discovered hepatitis G virus (HGV) was analysed in 163 patients on long-term haemodialysis to clarify its prevalence and clinical significance. Hepatitis G virus RNA in serum was measured by polymerase chain reaction with primers corresponding to the putative non-structural 5' region. Of the 163 patients, three (1.8%) were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen, 40 (24.5%) were positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA and 16 (9.8%) were positive for HGV-RNA. Five of the 16 patients with HGV-RNA were also positive for HCV-RNA. Patients with HCV and HGV coinfection had undergone a longer duration of haemodialysis (P = 0.001) and had higher units of transfusion (P = 0.031) compared with those without hepatitis virus infection. Transfusion history was significantly higher (P = 0.039) in patients with only HGV infection than in those without hepatitis virus infection. Hepatitis C virus RNA concentration was higher (P = 0.032) in patients with HCV and HGV coinfection than in those with HCV infection only, but alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were similar between these two groups. In conclusion, about 10% of patients on haemodialysis were infected with HGV and the infection was closely associated with transfusion history.
Ideura
T
T
Division of Artificial Kidney, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Japan.
Tanaka
E
E
Nakatsuji
Y
Y
Kobayashi
M
M
Kanno
Y
Y
Oguchi
H
H
Hora
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D006435:Renal Dialysis
D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase