title: GB Virus C infection in Patients With HIV/Hepatitis C Virus Coinfection: Improvement of the Liver Function in Chronic Hepatitis C.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)/HIV coinfection have shown that the presence of GBV-C is associated with significantly less compensated and decompensated cirrhosis, and an improvement in cirrhosis-free survival.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to describe the effect of GBV-C in patients with chronic hepatitis C and HIV coinfection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively studied 105 injecting drug users with chronic hepatitis C and HIV coinfection and 72 patients with chronic HCV mono-infections. Plasma samples were tested for GBV-C RNA with primers to the 5'untranslated region gene. HIV and HCV viral load, CD4(+) and CD8(+) cell count, and the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were tested in all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GBV-C RNA was identified in 34 (32.38%) of the patients with HIV/HCV coinfection, and in 24 (33.33%) of the patients with HCV mono-infection. GBV-C infection was associated with significantly lower ALT and AST levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C and HIV coinfection, but not in those HCV mono-infections. The presence of GBV-C infection was not correlated with CD4(+) and CD8(+) cell count, gender, age, HIV load, HCV load, and HCV genotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found that GBV-C infection has a high frequency among injecting drug users with HIV/HCV coinfection and HCV mono-infection in Yunnan, China. In patients with chronic hepatitis C and HIV coinfection, GBV-C RNA was associated with significantly lower ALT and AST levels, suggesting a beneficial effect of GBV-C infection on chronic hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Yue-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Animal Disease, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Wenhua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: A-Mei
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Yuzhu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Xueshan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xia
keywords: Coinfection; GB virus C; HIV; Hepatitis C virus; Liver Function Tests