title: High prevalence of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus infection among homosexual men infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1: evidence for sexual transmission.
abstract: GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV), a recently discovered orphan flavivirus, is distantly related to hepatitis C virus (HCV). Although both GBV-C/HGV and HCV can be transmitted by the parenteral route, their principal modes of transmission and associated risk behaviors may differ. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, the 5'-noncoding regions of GBV-C/HGV and HCV were amplified from plasma or sera of 209 individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). As verified by Southern blot analysis, GBV-C/HGV and HCV infection were detected in 37 (17.7%) and 22 (10.5%) of 209 HIV-1-infected individuals, respectively. GBV-C/HGV infection was significantly associated with homosexual sex (P = 0.044) and was more common than HCV infection among HIV-1-infected homosexual men (P = 0.006). The prevalence of GBV-C/HGV infection was nearly equal in women infected with HIV-1 via high-risk heterosexual sex (14.0%) or injection drug use (IDU) (17.5%). By contrast, HCV infection was associated significantly with women reporting IDU when compared to women reporting high-risk heterosexual sex (P < 0.0001). Alanine aminotransferase levels were elevated in HIV-1-infected individuals who were co-infected with HCV (P = 0.009), but not with GBV-C/HGV (P = 0.9). The high prevalence of GBV-C/HGV infection in HIV-1-infected nondrug-injecting homosexual men and among women engaging in high-risk heterosexual sex is consistent with transmission by the mucosal route and with acquisition of infection by the receptive rather than insertive partner.
authors.affiliation: Retrovirology Research Laboratory, Pacific Biomedical Research Center, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, USA. nerurkar@hawaii.edu
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Nerurkar
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Dashwood
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Shikuma
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yanagihara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D015497:HIV-1; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D015229:Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase