title: Liver histology in co-infection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis G virus (HGV).
abstract: As little is known about liver histology in the co-infection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis G virus (HGV), HGV RNA was investigated in 46 blood donors with hepatitis C, 22 of them with liver biopsy: co-infection HCV / HGV (n = 6) and HCV isolated infection (n = 16). Besides staging and grading of inflammation at portal, peri-portal and lobular areas (Brazilian Consensus), the fibrosis progression index was also calculated. All patients had no symptoms or signs of liver disease and prevalence of HGV / HCV co-infection was 15.2%. Most patients had mild liver disease and fibrosis progression index, calculated only in patients with known duration of infection, was 0.110 for co-infection and 0.130 for isolated HCV infection, characterizing these patients as "slow fibrosers". No statistical differences could be found between the groups, although a lesser degree of inflammation was always present in co-infection. In conclusion co-infection HCV / HGV does not induce a more aggressive liver disease, supporting the hypothesis that HGV is not pathogenic.
authors.affiliation: Divisão de Anatomia Patológica, FMUSP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. edna.strauss@hcnet.usp.br
authors.forename: Edna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: da Costa Gayotto
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fay
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fay
authors.forename: Helena Sabino
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Dalton de Alencar
authors.initials: Dde A
authors.lastname: Fischer Chamone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D029407:GB virus C / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral