title: Fulminant hepatitis and the new G/GBV-C flavivirus.
abstract: A new virus within the family Flaviviridae. 'hepatitis' G/GBV-C, has been incriminated by several authors as a causative factor of idiopathic or cryptogenic fulminant hepatitis, a syndrome of presumed viral aetiology. Review of worldwide data from 22 studies on 364 cases indicates that G/GBV-C infection is present in approximately 20% of idiopathic cases but a similar or even higher prevalence is detected in fulminant hepatitis of viral B, D or C aetiology, reflecting a high rate of parenteral viral exposure rather than a specific aetiology of fulminant hepatic failure. An aetiopathogenic role of G/GBV-C in fulminant hepatitis seems to be further refuted by the analysis of other data in the literature. The presence of G/GBV-C infection in fulminant hepatic failure is largely a result of secondary infection or coinfection. The aetiopathogenetic mystery of cryptogenic or idiopathic fulminant hepatitis remains unsolved.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hadziyannis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014943:Global Health; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies