title: Gradual loss of IgG antibodies against GB virus C/hepatitis G virus in a patient with AIDS.
abstract: GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae and is distantly related to hepatitis C virus (HCV). GBV-C/HGV can be transmitted by the parenteral and the sexual route. Among individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) by the sexual route, we and others have demonstrated a high prevalence of GBV-C/HGV infection. Recently, Woolley and colleagues reported that AIDS patients co-infected with GBV-C/HGV had a significantly lower mean CD4 cell count than AIDS patients without GBV-C/HGV infection, suggesting that GBV-C/HGV antibody may be lost with progression to AIDS. To our knowledge no data are available on the loss of antibody against GBV-C/HGV in AIDS patients. We now report on an HIV-infected patient who exhibited gradual loss of IgG antibodies against GBV-C/HGV, as well as HCV, with progression of HIV disease.
authors.affiliation: Retrovirology Research Laboratory, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, USA.
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Nerurkar
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Shikuma
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Dashwood
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Milne
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Woodward
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yanagihara
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G