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.
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy.
M
M
Cocco
M
M
Amoruso
S
S
Lavanna
D
D
Mariotti
G
G
Bertoni
N
N
Sinelli
R
R
Brizzolara
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