GB virus C in patients with liver disease of unknown etiology.
To assess the prevalence of GBV-C in patients suffering unknown liver disease we have investigated the GBV-C-RNA in serum of 54 patients: 10 with acute and 32 with chronic non-A-E hepatitis (16 active and 16 persistent), 10 with hepatocellular carcinoma, 2 diagnosed with hepatic fulminant failure, and 91 healthy blood donors (control). PCR with primers from NS3 helicase region was performed and the product was identified by a double strand DNA enzyme immunoassay. GBV appears to infect 40 and 31% of acute or chronic non-A-E hepatitis respectively. Also the GBV genome was found in 1 in 10 samples of hepatocarcinoma, in 2 cases of fulminant hepatitis, and in 1 in 91 of the control group. In spite of these results the role of GBV in the etiology of liver diseases has to be analyzed in more comprehensive studies.
Quirós
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E
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain. mmicro@andalusi.ugr.es
Piédrola
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G
Maroto
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C
D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000821:virology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood
D012367:RNA, Viral