[Relationship between amount of HBV DNA in serum/liver tissue and hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection in patients with chronic hepatitis B].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the relationship between the amount of HBV DNA in serum/liver tissue and HGV infection in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CH-B) for exploring the effect of HGV infection on hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication of CH-B.


METHODS
HGV RNA in serum, HGV nonstructural region 5 (NS5) antigen (HGV Ag) in liver tissue and the amount of HBV DNA in serum, liver tissue were detected for 56 patients with CH-B by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, peroxidase antiperoxidase (PAP) immunohistochemical method and fluorescence quantitative PCR assay, respectively. Then the relationship between HGV Ag expression in liver tissue and HGV RNA expression in serum was analysed and the amount of HBV DNA in serum and liver tissues from the serum HGV RNA or liver tissue HGV Ag positive patients were compared with those of the serum HGV-RNA or liver tissue HGV Ag negative patients, respectively.


RESULTS
Ten (17.9%) and eight (14.3%) patients were positive for serum and liver tissues,respectively.HGV RNA expression in serum was closely related to HGV Ag expression in liver tissues, but there was HGV RNA in serum from some of the liver tissues HGV Ag negative patients ?cases of HGV RNA and HGV Ag positive or negative,HGV RNA positive but HGV Ag negative, HGV RNA negative but HGV Ag positive, respectively: 5,43,5,3,(P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the amount of HBV DNA in serum and liver tissues between HGV RNA or HGV Ag positive and negative patients (P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
HGV infection may not affect HBV replication. Liver is the site of HGV replication, but HGV probably also replicates in extrahepatic tissues. HGV hepatic pathogenicity is probably mild and further studies are still needed.
Shang
Qinghua
Q
Institute of Liver Disease of Jinan Military Region, The 88th Hospital of Chinese PLA, Taian 271000, China. shangqh@163.com
Yu
Jianguo
J
Zhuo
Hailong
H
Xu
Chuanzhen
C
Wang
Ning
N
Zhang
Guangshu
G
D000328:Adult; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D029407:GB virus C / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018963:Hepatitis Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014779:Virus Replication
D004279:DNA, Viral; D018963:Hepatitis Antigens; D012367:RNA, Viral