Is hepatitis G virus a real risk for haemodialysis patients?
Haemodialysis patients are at high risk of developing liver disease due to blood-borne viral agents. At present hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common cause of infection in these patients. A new RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family, hepatitis G virus (HGV) has recently been cloned. HGV prevalence in haemodialysis patients ranges from 3.1% to 57.5%. The aim of this study has been to detect HGV-RNA in our haemodialysis patients in order to evaluate the prevalence of HGV and to correlate the viral presence to liver disease. A total of 79 patients, on haemodialysis for a mean of 52 months, were tested. 3 patients (3.8%) were HBsAG positive and 19 patients (24%) were HCV positive. 24 of the 79 (30%) patients had been transfused. Only 2 of the 79 patients (2.5%) were HGV positive. These patients were HBsAG and anti HCV negative, both had been previously transfused and showed no signs of liver disease.
Cocco
M
M
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy.
Amoruso
M
M
Lavanna
S
S
Mariotti
D
D
Bertoni
G
G
Sinelli
N
N
Brizzolara
R
R
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors
D012367:RNA, Viral