title: Prevalence and clinical significance of GB virus type C/hepatitis G virus coinfection in patients with chronic hepatitis C undergoing antiviral therapy.
abstract: Coinfection with GBV-C/HGV in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) may influence clinical course and response rates of antiviral therapy. Aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV/HCV coinfection and its influence on outcome of interferon/ribavirin combination therapy. Three hundred and four patients with CHC [m/f = 211/93, age: 42 (18-65)] were investigated. HGV RNA detection was performed by polymerase chain reaction prior to and 6 months after the end of antiviral therapy. HGV/HCV coinfection could be identified in 37/304 (12.2%) patients with intravenous drug abuse as the most common source of infection (N = 21, (56.8%)). The predominant HCV genotype in coinfected individuals was HCV-3a (HCV-3a: 51.4%, HCV-1: 37.8%, HCV-4: 10.8%). HGV coinfection was more prevalent in patients infected with HCV-3 compared to HCV-1 or HCV-4 [19/45 (42.2%) vs. 14/185 (7.6%) vs. 4/52 (7.7%), P < 0.01]. Patients with HGV/HCV coinfection were younger [35 (18-56) vs. 43 (19-65), years; P < 0.01], and advanced fibrosis (F3-F4) was less frequent (22.2% vs. 42.9%, P < 0.05). A sustained virological response was achieved more frequently in HGV/HCV coinfected patients [26/37 (70.3%)] than in monoinfected patients [120/267 (44.9%), P < 0.01]. HGV RNA was undetectable in 65.7% of the coinfected patients at the end of follow-up. Intravenous drug abuse seems to be a major risk factor for HGV coinfection in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Coinfection with HGV does not worsen the clinical course of chronic hepatitis C or diminish response of HCV to antiviral therapy. Interferon/ribavirin combination therapy also clears HGV infection in a high proportion of cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. harald.hofer@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hofer
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neumueller-Guber
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: T-M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Scherzer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Staufer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steindl-Munda
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wrba
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferenci
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D060085:Coinfection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D029407:GB virus C; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000821:virology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a