Biochemical and histological features of hepatitis G virus infection.
To assess the biochemical and histological characteristics of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection, we examined four patients who were infected with HGV only (HGV group), and compared them with 16 patients infected with both HGV and hepatitis C virus (HCV; HGV + HCV group) and 18 patients infected with HCV only (HCV group). Biochemical examination showed a significantly low level of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the HGV group, and that the gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP)/ALT ratio in the same group was significantly higher than in the other two groups. Although all three patient groups had a similar degree of liver fibrosis, both the degree of periportal inflammation and total histological activity index were significantly lower in the HGV group than in the other two groups. Fibrous enlargement of the portal tract without lymphoid infiltration and thin fibrous septa was characteristically observed in the HGV group. No significant difference was found between the HGV + HCV group and HCV group. Our results suggest that biochemical and histological changes in HGV infection are very mild and quite different from those of HCV infection.
Kobayashi
M
M
Department of Gastroenterology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Chayama
K
K
Fukuda
M
M
Tsubota
A
A
Suzuki
Y
Y
Arase
Y
Y
Koida
I
I
Saitoh
S
S
Murashima
N
N
Ikeda
K
K
Koike
H
H
Hashimoto
M
M
Miyano
Y
Y
Kobayashi
M
M
Kumada
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase