[Prevalence of GBV-C/HGV (HGV) in HIV-infected patients and potential influence of co-infection on the course of the disease.].
OBJECTIVE
Assessment of prevalence of GBV-C/HGV infection in HIV-infected patients and evaluating of a possible influence of GBV-C/HGV on the course of HIV infection by assessment of immunological and virological markers of progression of HIV infection.


METHODS
We have investigated serum samples of 273 HIV- infected patients from AIDS Center of the University Hospital Na Bulovce Prague during 2002-2003. Our target was to assess the presence of markers of GBV-C/HGV infection by semiquantitative HGV RNA evaluation and anti-E2 antibodies by ELISA testing. 271 of serum samples were tested for HGV RNA and 269 samples were tested for anti-E2 antibodies. HIV viral load and CD4 count were tested concurrently. We used Spearmans test to rule out the dependency of CD4 count and HIV viral load on HGV infection.


RESULTS
89 (33,3 %) of patients were positive in HGV RNA test and 101 (38,5 %) of patients were positive in anti E2-ELISA. No statistically significant effect of GBV-C/HGV infection was observed on CD4 count and HIV viral load in our cohort of patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The effect of GBV-C/HGV infection on predictive laboratory markers of HIV infection was not confirmed in our study. Further investigations regarding this subject seem to be necessary.
Aster
Viktor
V
3rd Department of Infectious and Tropical Disease, Charles Univerzity Prague, Czech Republic.
König
Jaroslav
J
Stanková
Marie
M
Rozsypal
Hanus
H
Procházka
Bohumír
B
D060085:Coinfection; D029407:GB virus C; D015658:HIV Infections; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral
D012367:RNA, Viral