Epidemiology of GB virus type C among patients infected with HIV in Singapore.
Several studies have shown that individuals co-infected with GB virus type C (GBV-C), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have slower progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and a prolonged lifespan, compared to those infected with only HIV. In Singapore, despite the steadily increasing number of HIV infections in recent years, there are no studies documenting the extent of GBV-C/HIV co-infection in this group of patients. To fill this dearth of information, two GBV-C screening assays was performed on 80 archived HIV-1-positive samples from the National University Hospital. The overall prevalence of GBV-C co-infection among patients infected with HIV in this study was 10% (8/80). Phylogenetic analysis of the eight dual-infection cases revealed that genotypes 3 (4/8, 50%) and 2a (2/8, 25%) were the main genotypes circulating among these Singaporean HIV patients. One case each of genotypes 2b (1/8, 12.5%) and 4 (1/8, 12.5%), which have not been described previously in Singapore, were identified. These findings hint at the complex epidemiology of GBV-C in different patient groups and a larger study would be needed to characterize, and understand the potential clinical impact of GBV-C co-infection on the patients.
Molecular Diagnosis Centre, Department of Laboratory Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore.
Chun Kiat
CK
Lee
Julian Wei-Tze
JW
Tang
Lily
L
Chiu
Tze Ping
TP
Loh
Dariusz
D
Olszyna
Nicholas
N
Chew
Sophia
S
Archuleta
Evelyn Siew-Chuan
ES
Koay
D000328:Adult; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D029407:GB virus C / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology
GBV-C; HIV-1; genotype; hepatitis G; phylogenetic analysis