High prevalence of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus RNA in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus.
Prevalence of GBV-C/HGV was determined in a cohort of HIV-infected patients, via a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction detection of RNA in serum, amplifying the NS5 region of GBV-C/HGV genome. GBV-C/HGV RNA was detected in 143 (37.7%) of 379 patients, with similar results in the different HIV risk groups: 25/56 (44.6%) in intravenous drug users, 66/161 (41%) in homo- and bisexual men, 35/108 (32.4%) in heterosexual patients, 6/20 (30%) in transfusion recipients (P=0.41). There was no difference according to the presence or absence of hepatitis C virus infection. In univariate analysis, GBV-C/HGV genome prevalence was lower in patients over 50 years old (18.2%), compared to other age groups (20-29 years: 34.2%; 30-39 years: 44.3%; 40-49 years: 36.7%, P=0.03), as well as in patients with normal CD4 cell count (29.2% vs. 45.4% between 200-500/mm3, and 35.3% below 200 CD4/mm3, P=0.012) and individuals with a chronic hepatitis B. However, in the multivariate analysis, the only prognostic factor of GBV-C/HGV RNA positivity was the presence of a chronic hepatitis B, compared to the absence of any HBV marker, or a previous exposition to HBV (presence of anti-HBc and/or anti-HBs, absence of HBsAg), or the presence of anti-HBs alone.
Rey
D
D
CISIH, Clinique Médicale A, Hôpitaux Universitaires, Strasbourg, France. david.rey@chru-strasbourg.fr
Fraize
S
S
Vidinic
J
J
Meyer
P
P
Fritsch
S
S
Labouret
N
N
Schmitt
C
C
Lang
J M
JM
Stoll-Keller
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology*; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D012367:RNA, Viral