Lack of anti-GOR antibody among subjects with GB virus C/hepatitis G virus RNA.
Homologies were sought between the putative amino acid sequences of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) and the GOR epitope or the liver/kidney microsome-1 (LKM-1) epitope, which share partial sequence identity with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) polyprotein. Anti-GOR antibody (anti-GOR) was assayed among 100 subjects with GBV-C/HGV RNA. Twenty-one and 25 subjects were coinfected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or HCV, respectively. Homologies were found between the NS5 or E2 polyproteins of GBV-C/HGV and the GOR epitope or the LKM-1 epitope, respectively. These segments of GBV-C/HGV polyproteins sharing identity with the GOR or the LKM-1 epitope were well conserved among three genotypes of GBV-C/HGV. However, only 1 of 55 subjects (1.8%) with GBV-C/HGV RNA, but not with HBV or HCV, was positive for anti-GOR. The positivity for anti-GOR among the group with GBV-C/HGV RNA alone was significantly lower than that among the groups with HCV RNA (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Only 2 of 55 subjects (3.6%) with GBV-C/HGV RNA alone exhibited elevation of alanine aminotransferase. The incidence of liver dysfunction among the group with GBV-C/HGV RNA alone was significantly lower than the incidence among the groups with GBV-C/HGV RNA and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or HCV RNA (P< 0.01 and P< 0.01, respectively). These data indicate that 1) there is no association between GBV-C/HGV infection and the presence of anti-GOR, and 2) GBV-C/HGV infection is not related to chronic liver dysfunction.
Nakano
T
T
Second Department of Medicine, Nagoya City University Medical School, Mizuho, Nagoya, Japan.
Mizokami
M
M
Cao
K
K
Noguchi
S
S
Sata
M
M
Park
Y M
YM
Kim
B S
BS
Oyunsuren
T
T
Pereira
L B
LB
Ruzibakiev
R
R
Gurtsevitch
V
V
Hayami
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D001323:Autoantibodies; D000939:Epitopes; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D011506:Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; C060729:anti-liver kidney microsome antibody