title: Prevalence of hepatitis G virus in a haemodialysis unit.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, a novel blood-borne virus has been identified and named hepatitis G virus. Transfusion is the main route of transmission. It is known that patients on maintenance dialysis are more susceptible to infections with parenterally-transmitted viruses than the general population. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis G infection in a Belgian dialysis unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  The entire population of our dialysis unit (82 patients) was tested for the presence of hepatitis G virus (HGV) by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. History of transfusion or renal transplantation, coinfections with hepatitis B and C viruses, and serum aminotransferase levels were also tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen patients (16%) were found positive for HGV-RNA. Among these patients, 69.2% were infected by the G virus alone, 15.4% were coinfected with B virus, and 15.4% with C virus. All but one patient had a history of transfusion. Ten of the thirteen infected patients (77%) had normal aminotransferase (< 30 UI/l). Three patients had elevated aminotransferase levels (23%); one was coinfected with B virus, one with C virus, and the last one had a diabetes-induced fatty liver infiltration. No liver biopsies were performed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is concluded that infection with G virus is common among dialyzed patients. This high rate of infection could be related to previous transfusions, but may as well be due to nosocomial transmission. In our series, at least one patient has been contaminated by another road than transplantation or transfusion. Finally, it does not appear clearly that chronic infection with hepatitis G virus induces liver disease, as defined by elevated aminotransferase level.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Gastroenterology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lamproye
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delwaide
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vaira
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maggipinto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gérard
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sondag-Thull
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rentier
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rorive
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Belaïche
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral