GB virus type C infection in patients treated for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of GB virus type C (GBV-C) infection in subjects treated for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.


METHODS
One hundred forty patients (82 males) aged 4 to 27 years (median, 11) diagnosed with ALL between 1976 and 1993, were prospectively followed for a median of 5 years (range, 0.1-17) after completion of therapy. Stored sera were tested for antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV), HCV RNA, antibody to GBV-C E2 (anti-E2), and GBV-C RNA.


RESULTS
Thirty-eight patients (27%) were exposed to GBV-C: 30 were positive for GBV-C RNA (mostly type 2) and 8 were positive for anti-E2. Anti-E2 and GBV-C RNA were mutually exclusive: 61 patients (43%) were positive for HCV RNA, 16 (11%) were coinfected with GBV-C and HCV. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were increased (>35 mU/mL) in 32 (23%) of 137: 3 of 20 who were positive for GBV-C and negative for HCV, 7 of 15 who were positive for GBV-C and HCV, 15 of 44 who were negative for GBV-C and positive for HCV, and 7 of 58 who were negative for GBV-C and HCV (p<0.001). Median ALT values were significantly higher in patients positive for GBV-C and HCV than in those who were positive for GBV-C and negative for HCV (35 vs. 13 mU/mL, p = 0.003). Thirty-one of 38 patients with GBV-C markers were retested: GBV-C RNA was lost in 16 of 30 tested, but 7 were still GBV-C RNA positive up to 50 months later, 3 tested positive for anti-E2 up to 27 months later, and 1 was positive for GBV-C RNA and anti-E2 26 months later, while 20 tested negative for both.


CONCLUSIONS
GBV-C did not behave as a liver pathogen, because ALT alterations were unrelated to GBV-C status, but, rather, were related to HCV infection or coinfection. GBV-C RNA was frequently lost over a relatively short period, though in some cases, it was retained for a longer time. Anti-E2 rarely coexisted with GBV-C RNA and might be short-term.
Department of Pediatrics, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
M
M
Aricò
M
M
Bissolati
G
G
Bossi
M
M
Asti
A
A
Cerino
D
D
Caselli
A
A
Ricci
C
C
Klersy
E
E
Silini
M U
MU
Mondelli
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications*; D015995:Prevalence; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction