title: Hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection & its pathogenic significance in patients of cirrhosis.
abstract: In the present study the hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection and its pathogenic significance in patients of cirrhosis were assessed using reverse transcription plus nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum samples were collected from a total of 50 patients of histologically proven non-alcoholic cirrhosis and from a control group consisting of 50 healthy voluntary blood donors. HGV RNA was detected by RT-PCR using primer sequences located in the conserved NS3 helicase region of HGV genome. Serological evaluation for markers of chronic infection with HBV (HBsAg, IgG anti-HBc, HBeAg) and HCV (anti-HCV) was carried out using commercially available kits. HBV DNA and HCV RNA were also tested by PCR in those samples that were found to be non-B, non-C by serological assays. Serological evidence of exposure to HBV was found in 31 (62%) and to HCV in 15 (30%) patients. HGV RNA was detected in 6 (12%) cirrhosis patients and in 2 (4%) healthy blood donors but the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. Of the 6 HGV positive patients, 2 were coinfected with HBV, 1 with HCV, while the remaining 3 belonged to non-B, non-C category. No significant difference was observed in the clinical and biochemical profiles of HGV-positive and HGV-negative patients except that a history of blood transfusion was significantly (P < 0.005) more common in the former. The findings indicate that the HGV infection is commonly observed in both cirrhosis patients as well as healthy blood donors. A significant association of the virus with blood transfusion is indicative of a parenteral route of transmission. The observations of this study also suggest that the pathogenic role of HGV in the causation of liver disease may be insignificant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kar
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gopalkrishna
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gangwal
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Katiyar
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Das
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral