Absence of hepatitis G virus within liver tissue of patients undergoing liver transplantation for cryptogenic cirrhosis.
BACKGROUND
Epidemiological studies have detected up to a 9% incidence of hepatitis G (HGV)-RNA in patients with acute and chronic liver disease of unknown etiology. We sought to clarify the role of HGV as a causative agent in cryptogenic cirrhosis by analyzing archival liver tissue for HGV-RNA in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation.


METHODS
Using a computer database, we identified 54 patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation for cryptogenic cirrhosis. After using rigorous serologic and histopathologic screening guidelines, 20 patients were studied, 7 of whom had concurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). RNA was extracted from archival paraffin-embedded liver tissue; HGV sequences were amplified by nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction using primers designed from the 5' noncoding region.


RESULTS
HGV-RNA was absent from all 20 liver specimens, including those 7 with HCC. Beta-actin RNA, used as a positive control for cellular RNA, was isolated from all 20 liver specimens, including the 7 with HCC.


CONCLUSIONS
Utilizing a highly sensitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay for HGV-RNA, we were unable to detect HGV-RNA within the livers of patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis or in the HCC arising within them. This lends further evidence to HGV infection not being a cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis and not being associated with the development of HCC in cryptogenic cirrhosis.
Schiano
T D
TD
Division of Liver Diseases, The Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York 10128, USA.
Fiel
M I
MI
Abe
K
K
Thung
S N
SN
Bodenheimer
H C
HC
D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery* / Q000821:virology*; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000821:virology; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D000199:Actins; D012367:RNA, Viral