Prevalence of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus RNA and anti-E2 glycoprotein antibodies in homosexual men with HIV coinfection.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this cross-sectional, nonrandomized, prospective study was to generate data on the prevalence of GB virus C (GBV-C)/hepatitis G virus (HGV) in a cohort of HIV-infected homosexuals from Munich.


METHODS
A total of 71 HIV-infected homosexual men were analyzed for prevalence of GBV-C RNA and antibodies to the E2 envelope glycoprotein (E2Ab). 475 healthy volunteer blood donors in southern Bavaria served as a control group.


RESULTS
The prevalence of GBV-C RNA was 27% (control group: 2.3%) and the prevalence of E2Ab was 35% (control group: 6%). The total prevalence for present and past infection was 62%. The differences between the HIV-infected patients and the control group were significant (p < 0.0001). GBV-C RNA and E2Ab were not detected simultaneously in any serum sample. The E2Ab positive patients were older than the GBV-C RNA positives (mean 46 years versus 39 years, p = 0.0350). The GBV-C RNA and E2Ab negative patients were older than the GBV-C RNA positives (mean 47 years versus 39 years, p = 0.0236). The E2Ab positive patients had suffered sexually transmitted diseases more frequently than the patients negative for markers of GBV-C infection (p = 0.0308). E2Ab positive patients also had higher mean levels of alanine aminotransferase compared to patients without evidence of GBV-C infection (p = 0.0164). 59.4% of all individuals were anti-HBc IgG positive.


CONCLUSIONS
The data can be interpreted as indirect evidence for sexual transmission of GBV-C.
Wächtler
M
M
City Hospital Munich-Schwabing, Academic Teaching Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, Germany.
Hofmann
A
A
Müller
G
G
Frösner
G
G
Nitschko
H
H
Karwat
M
M
Knetsch
I
I
Emminger
C
C
Eichenlaub
D
D
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000097:blood*
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C107619:glycoprotein E2, GB virus C; D000410:Alanine Transaminase