Status and natural course of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus infection among high-risk groups and volunteer blood donors in Taiwan.
BACKGROUND
Hemophilia, thalassemia and uremia patients are at risk of parenterally transmitted infectious agents. The status and nature of the course of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) infection among these groups and blood donors in Taiwan was investigated.


METHODS
Serum GBV-C HGV-RNA and antibodies to GBV-C/HGV envelope-2-protein (anti-E2) were determined in 500 blood donors and in 44 hemophilia, 37 thalassemia and 85 uremia patients. Phylogenetic analysis was performed.


RESULTS
The prevalence of GBV-C/HGV-RNA and anti-E2, respectively, was 38.6 and 27.3% in hemophilia patients, 27.0 and 27.3% in thalassemia patients, 14.1 and 10.6% in uremia patients and 3.4 and 7.2% in blood donors. The prevalence of GBV-C HGV exposure was 59.1 and 51.4% in hemophilia and thalassemia patients, respectively, which was significantly higher than that for uremia patients (22.4%; P < 0.01) and blood donors (10.2%; P < 0.001). The anti-E2 seroconversion rate was 66.7% in blood donors and 47.4, 36.8 and 34.6% in thalassemia, uremia (P < 0.05 compared with blood donors) and hemophilia (P < 0.01 compared with blood donors) patients, respectively. Discrepancies in the prevalence of GBV-C HGV and hepatitis C virus infection were found among the three risk groups. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 51 of 56 GBV-C HGV isolates clustered in group 3; the remaining five were of group 2a. Twelve of 39 viremic patients in the risk groups cleared the virus during the 4 year follow-up period; seven developed concomitant anti-E2 reactivity.


CONCLUSIONS
GB virus C hepatitis G virus infection is epidemic among risk groups and GBV-C HGV group 3 is the major strain in Taiwan. In the risk groups, approximately 18% of infections resolve with concomitant anti-E2 seroconversion within 4 years.
Yu
M L
ML
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Chuang
W L
WL
Wang
L Y
LY
Dai
C Y
CY
Chiou
S S
SS
Sung
M H
MH
Chang
C S
CS
Chen
S C
SC
Wang
C S
CS
Chang
T T
TT
Chang
W Y
WY
D020121:5' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001483:Base Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000821:virology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000821:virology*; D014511:Uremia / Q000821:virology*; D014766:Viremia / Q000453:epidemiology
D020121:5' Untranslated Regions