title: GB virus C infection: clinical significance.
abstract: GB virus C (GBV-C) RNA positivity rates were examined in serum specimens from 231 patients with liver disease (23 patients with hepatitis B, 175 patients with hepatitis C, five patients with hepatitis B virus plus hepatitis C virus coinfection, and 28 patients with non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis) to clarify the clinical significance of this virus. GBV-C RNA was detected in none of 12 patients with fulminant hepatitis, one of two patients with acute hepatitis positive for hepatitis B surface antigen and one of four patients with acute non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis. Pathogenetic involvement of GBV-C was suspected in some patients in the latter group. Among patients with the non-B, non-C type of chronic disease, one of seven with cirrhosis (14%) and none with chronic hepatitis or hepatocellular carcinoma were GBV-C-positive. In chronic hepatitis C patients who had received interferon treatment, no difference was found in clinical findings, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentrations, histology or response to interferon between 11 patients who were GBV-C RNA-positive and 101 patients who were GBV-C RNA-negative. Moreover, changes in ALT after interferon therapy showed no relation to positivity for GBV-C RNA. On the basis of these findings, GBV-C appears to be an unlikely cause of initiation or progression of chronic hepatic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Akita University School of Medicine, Akita City, Japan.
authors.forename: X W
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohshima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakane
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoneyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuramitsu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mukaide
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000821:virology; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D007372:Interferons