title: GBV-C/HGV-RNA in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in hemodialysis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hemodialysis patients are at high risk of hepatitis B, C, and G virus infection. The prevalence of GBV-C/HGV-RNA was analyzed in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 52 hemodialysis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  GBV-C/HGV-RNA detection was performed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primers of 5'-noncoding (5'-NC) and NS3 regions of the GBV-C/HGV genome. To increase sensitivity, serum samples were ultracentrifuged prior to the RT-PCR to concentrate the viral particles. The amplified products from 20 serum and 5 peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) samples were sequenced.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GBV-C/HGV-RNA was detected in sera of 9 (17%) and in PBMCs of 30 (58%) patients. After serum ultracentrifugation, GBV-C/HGV-RNA was positive in 20 (95%) of the patients, with GBV-C/HGV-RNA only in PBMCs. Thus, GBV-C/HGV-RNA was detected in serum and PBMCs from 29 (56%) patients, four of whom had antibodies against GBV-C/HGV E2 protein (anti-HGE2); one patient (2%) had GBV-C/HGV-RNA only in PBMCs, but was anti-HGE2 positive. Seven (32%) patients who did not have GBV-C/HGV-RNA were anti-HGE2 positive. The nucleotide sequence homology between serum samples from the patients who were GBV-C/HGV-RNA positive after ultracentrifugation, and paired serum and PBMCs from five of them, ranged from 90 to 96% and from 92 to 98%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a high prevalence of GBV-C/HGV-RNA in serum and PBMC samples from hemodialysis patients. Whether or not this finding can be extended to other populations requires further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatology, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cabrerizo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartolomé
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Sequera
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caramelo
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Manzano
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carreño
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014766:Viremia / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral