Molecular analysis of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus in HIV-1-positive intravenous drug users in Belgium.
OBJECTIVE
A high prevalence of GB virus C (GBV-C)/hepatitis G virus (HGV) RNA and E2 antibodies is observable in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals in Belgium, including intravenous drug users (IDUs), in whom the highest prevalence is observed. A molecular analysis of GBV-C/HGV could give indications on the origin of this infection in IDUs.


METHODS
We directly sequenced 7 GBV-C/HGV isolates from this IDU population and performed a phylogenetic analysis comparing the results to known GBV-C/HGV sequences.


RESULTS
All 7 isolates were GBV-C/HGV genome type 2. Three were found to be subtype 2a, and 4 belonged to the 2b subtype. No specific clustering was observed for strains obtained from IDUs in Belgium, and they were interspersed between other sequences with long branch lengths.


CONCLUSIONS
Based on our results, it is unlikely that the IDUs were infected recently by GBV-C/HGV from a common ancestral virus.
Liu
H F
HF
Unit of Virology, Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Goderniaux
E
E
Burtonboy
G
G
Goubau
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C107619:glycoprotein E2, GB virus C