title: Molecular epidemiology of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus in Athens, Greece.
abstract: The relevance of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) infections in liver pathology remains unclear. To investigate the epidemiology of GBV-C/HGV in Athens, Greece, sera from 512 subjects were screened for present and past markers of GBV-C/HGV infection using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and a serological assay, respectively. GBV-C/HGV RNA was detected in 18/56 (32.1%), 12/42 (28.6%), and 16/55 (29.1%) patients with acute hepatitis B, C, or non-A-E, and in 5/58 (8.6%) and 18/68 (26.5%) patients with chronic hepatitis B or C, respectively, as well as in 50/133 (37.6%) hemodialysis patients and 10/100 (10%) healthy individuals. The data indicated that GBV-C/HGV seroprevalence is age-dependent; thus, GBV-C/HGV RNA and anti-E2 positivity were shown to be associated with younger age [odds ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0. 97-1.00, P = 0.017] and older age (odds ratio 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05, P = 0.002), respectively. No significant associations were identified between GBV-C/HGV RNA status and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in either hepatitis or hemodialysis patients. Nevertheless, GBV-C/HGV RNA-positive acute non-A-E hepatitis patients were more likely to manifest a more severe clinical form of acute hepatitis (P = 0.024). Phylogenetic analysis of partial 5'-untranslated region sequences isolated from 18 viremic individuals showed that most GBV-C/HGV strains circulating in the greater metropolitan area of Athens belong to the 2a subgroup. A genetically diverse type 2 sequence that may represent a novel subtype within group 2 was also characterized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Anastassopoulou
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paraskevis
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Tassopoulos
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boletis
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Sypsa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hatzakis
mesh_terms: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D015415:Biomarkers; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C107619:glycoprotein E2, GB virus C