title: Detection of antibodies to E2-protein of GB virus-C/hepatitis G virus in patients with acute posttransfusion hepatitis.
abstract: GB virus-C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) is an RNA virus that can be transmitted by transfusion with the diagnosis based on the detection of serum GBV-C/HGV RNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In order to evaluate the role of antibodies to the E2 protein (anti-E2) of GBV-C/HGV in patients with acute posttransfusion hepatitis, anti-E2 was measured in one patient with acute GBV-C/HGV infection, five patients with acute GBV-C/HGV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection, and four patients with positive pretransfusion GBV-C/HGV RNA who were superinfected with HCV after transfusion. One patient with acute GBV-C/HGV infection remained GBV-C/HGV RNA-positive 18 months after transfusion and did not develop anti-E2. Among five patients with acute GBV-C/HGV and HCV coinfection, one lost GBV-C/HGV RNA 28 months after transfusion and developed anti-E2 independent of serum alanine aminotransferase levels. The other four patients remained GBV-C/HGV RNA-positive and anti-E2-negative at the end of follow-up. Among four patients with positive pretransfusion GBV-C/HGV RNA and super-infected with HCV, one lost GBV-C/HGV RNA 2 months and one 10 months after superinfection and subsequently developed anti-E2. The other two patients remained GBV-C/HGV RNA-positive without anti-E2 at the end of follow-up. Sixty-five samples tested were mutually and exclusively positive for either GBV-C/HGV RNA or anti-E2; only one sample was positive for both GBV-C/HGV RNA and anti-E2. In conclusion, the development of anti-E2 of GBV-C/HGV usually indicates the clearance of serum GBV-C/HGV RNA in patients with acute posttransfusion hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taiwan.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: F Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C107619:glycoprotein E2, GB virus C