High prevalence of GB-C/hepatitis G virus in a Brazilian population with helminth infection.
A study of GB-C virus/Hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/ HGV) infection was carried out in a rural population of Northeastern Brazil, in which the prevalence of schistosomiasis is 80-90%. Despite the absence of parenteral risk exposure, the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV markers of infection was found to be unusually increased: viremia, 16.4%; specific antibody, 18.3%. It is therefore suspected that helminth infection influenced the immune response to GBV-C/HGV infection by shifting the balance of cytokine responses from Th1 to Th2, resulting in a delayed viral clearance. Phylogenetic analysis of viral isolates did not provide evidence for high rates of sexual or mother-to-infant viral transmission. The study revealed that viral strains belonged to types 1 and 2 only (predominant in Africa and Europe, respectively), suggesting that GBV-C/HGV was introduced into the New World by white conquerors and black slaves since the 16th century.
Gallian
P
P
Laboratoire de Virologie Moléculaire Tropicale et Transfusionnelle, Institut Fédératif de Recherche Pathologie Transmissible et Pathologie Infectieuse Tropicale, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France.
Rodrigues
V
V
Cantaloube
J F
JF
Dessein
H
H
de Micco
P
P
Dessein
A J
AJ
de Lamballerie
X
X
D020121:5' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology
D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral