Prevalence of hepatitis G-virus infection in alcohol abusing patients with and without liver cirrhosis.
BACKGROUND
Hepatitis G (GBV-C/HGV) is an RNA-virus belonging to the flavivirus family and is capable of inducing hepatitis in rare cases. Its importance as a co-factor in the pathogenesis of liver disease needs to be clarified.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of HGV in chronic alcoholics with and without liver cirrhosis.


METHODS
86 alcoholics, 44 with liver cirrhosis and 42 without liver cirrhosis, were investigated; 93 healthy individuals served as controls.


METHODS
Serum was tested for GBV-C/HGV-RNA by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and for anti-E2, a marker of resolved GBV-C/HGV infection, by ELISA. GBV-C/HGV-RNA positive samples were sequenced and the GBV-C/HGV subtype determined.


RESULTS
Eight out of 86 (9.3%) alcoholics were GBV-C/HGV-RNA positive, as compared to 2 out of 93 (2.2%) healthy controls (n. s.). Twenty-one (24.4%) alcoholics had anti-E2 in serum, whereas this antibody was found in 12 (12.9%) healthy persons only (n. s.). However, significantly more alcoholic patients (33.7%) than healthy controls (15.1%) had past or present contact with GBV-C/HGV (p = 0.006). 11.4% of alcoholic patients with liver cirrhosis and 7.1% of alcoholic patients without liver cirrhosis showed GBV-C/HGV-RNA. 34.1% of alcoholic patients with liver cirrhosis and 16.6% of alcoholic patients without liver cirrhosis had anti-E2. Among the 44 patients with liver cirrhosis, 8 out of 11 (72.7%) patients with variceal bleeding, but only 11 of 33 patients without bleeding had contact with GBV-C/HGV (p = 0.05). Seven out of 8 GBV-C/HGV-RNA positive alcoholics had genotype 2a, 1 had type 1a of GBV-C/HGV.


CONCLUSIONS
Alcoholic patients have a significantly higher contact rate with GBV-C/HGV as compared to healthy controls. Alcoholics with liver cirrhosis tend to be more frequently infected than alcoholic patients without liver cirrhosis. A previous variceal bleeding episode is significantly associated with GBV-C/HGV infection.
Schöniger-Hekele
M
M
Klinische Abteilung Gastroenterologie und Hepatologie, Universitätsklinik für Innere Medizin IV, Vienna, Austria.
Petermann
D
D
Lesch
O M
OM
Müller
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors