Hepatitis G virus infection in India: prevalence and phylogenetic analysis based on 5' non-coding region.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection in western India and to carry out phylogenetic analysis of HGV isolates.


METHODS
Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was used to detect HGV RNA in serum samples obtained from paid plasma donors, patients with hemophilia and voluntary blood donors. Nine Indian and one Kenyan HGV RNA-positive samples were sequenced in the 5' non-coding region (5'-NCR). Phylogenetic analysis based on the comparison of a 101 nucleotide fragment from a large number of HGV isolates from 22 countries (including Indian and Kenyan sequences obtained during the present study) was carried out.


RESULTS
HGV RNA positivity rates among paid plasma donors from a commercial plasmapheresis unit (7/43, 16.3%) and patients with hemophilia (5/44, 11.4%) were significantly higher than that in voluntary blood donors (0/51; p=0.003 and 0.019, respectively). Among patients with acute non-A to E hepatitis and fulminant hepatic failure, 1 of 50 and 1 of 28 were HGV RNA-positive, whereas 6 of 49 (12%) patients with chronic liver disease had circulating HGV RNA. All Indian isolates belonged to genotype 2, whereas the Kenyan isolate formed a distinct branch within genotype 1 consisting of African isolates.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest existence of parenteral transmission of HGV in the Indian population. HGV was not an important cause of acute non-A to E hepatitis or fulminant hepatic failure among the patients investigated. Genotype 2 seems to be the most prevalent genotype in western India.
Arankalle
V A
VA
Hepatitis Division, National Institute of Virology, Pune. aarankalle@hotmail.com
Deshmukh
T M
TM
Chobe
L P
LP
Chadha
M S
MS
Walimbe
A M
AM
D001483:Base Sequence; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005838:Genotype; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D012367:RNA, Viral