Prevalence of GBV C/HGV RNA and GBV C/HGV antibodies in French volunteer blood donors: results of a collaborative study.
OBJECTIVE
Posttransfusion hepatitis still occurs at an incidence of about 1 in 118,000 for HBV and 1 in 220,000 for HCV. This collaborative study aimed to determine the prevalence of a novel flavivirus, GBV-C/HGV, even though its role in transfusion-associated hepatitis is uncertain.


METHODS
GBV-C/HGV RNA was detected by PCR using either the Boehringer detection kit or by primers previously described. HGV antibodies were detected by a serological assay from Boehringer.


RESULTS
The observed GBV-C/HGV RNA frequency was 3.4%. HGV antibodies occurred in 9.5% of donors.


CONCLUSIONS
In our study, 12. 9% of the donors had been in contact with the GBV-C/HGV virus.
Mercier
B
B
Etablissement de Transfusion Sanguine (ETS) de Bretagne Occidentale and CHU Morvan, Brest, France. bernard.Mercier@univ-brest.fr
Barclais
A
A
Botte
C
C
Cantalube
J
J
Coste
J
J
Defer
C
C
Gautreau
C
C
Giannoli
C
C
Halfon
P
P
Lepot
I
I
Loiseau
P
P
Martial
J
J
Montcharmont
P
P
Merel
P
P
Ouzan
D
D
Ravera
N
N
Follana
J
J
Césaire
R
R
Janot
C
C
Lemaire
J
J
De Micco
P
P
Vezon
G
G
Férec
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D005602:France; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral