title: Role of GB virus C in HIV-1-infected and hepatitis C virus-infected hemophiliac children and adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  GB Virus C (GBV-C) has been associated with a better prognosis of HIV-1 disease in adults. Little is known about prevalence and interaction between GBV-C, HIV-1, and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) in hemophiliac children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A well-characterized cohort of HIV-1-infected and HIV-1-uninfected hemophiliac children and adolescents followed in the Hemophilia Growth and Development Study (HGDS) were evaluated using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to detect GBV-C RNA in samples from baseline and last follow-up visit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HIV-1-infected (n = 202) and HIV-1-uninfected (n = 119) patients had a low prevalence of GBV-C infection at baseline (0.9 and 0%), which increased at time of last follow-up visit to 25.2% and 26.3%, respectively. In addition, at the time of the follow-up GBV-C measurement, those GBV-C infected had been followed longer and had higher CD4(+) cell counts and lower HIV-1 viral loads than those GBV-C uninfected. These beneficial effects of GBV-C were no longer significant after controlling for CD4(+) cell count and HIV-1 RNA at baseline. HCV RNA clearance was more common amongst those who were not GBV-C infected than those who became GBV-C viremic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms a positive association of GBV-C with milder course of HIV-1 infection. GBV-C infection was associated with a higher likelihood of persistent HCV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Neurology and Dermatology, Division Gastroenterology, University Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Solveig
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tenckhoff
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: Fritz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bredeek
authors.forename: Sharyne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Donfield
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Menius
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lail
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mössner
authors.forename: Eric S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Daar
authors.forename: Hans L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Tillmann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D029407:GB virus C / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral