SERUM HEPATITIS-G VIRUS-RNA IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC VIRAL-HEPATITIS

Objectives: The hepatitis G virus (HGV) is a newly described flaviviru s that affects a high proportion of patients with chronic viral hepati tis: our objective was to determine what role HGV might play in the co urse of disease, Methods: We evaluated stored serum samples from 108 p atients with chronic hepatitis B and 99 patients with chronic hepatiti s C who participated in trials of cu-interferon or ribavirin for the p resence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and, hepatitis C virus (HCV) RN A by branched DNA and for the presence of HGV RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using primers from the NS5 region of the genome, Resul ts: Initially, 20 (19%) patients with hepatitis B and 11 (11%) with he patitis C had HGV RNA in their serum, Patients with and without HGV in fection were similar with regard to clinical features, laboratory test s, and hepatic histology, HGV RNA levels fell during interferon therap y and became undetectable in those receiving the highest doses; howeve r, HGV RNA levels returned to pretreatment values when therapy was sto pped, With ribavirin therapy, HGV RNA levels did not change, Two- to 1 2-yr follow-up serum samples were available from 17 initially HGV RNA- positive patients, of whom only 10 (59%) were still positive, Conclusi ons: HGV infection is common among patients with chronic hepatitis B a nd C but has little effect on the short-term course of disease or resp onse to therapy, HGV RNA levels are suppressed but not eradicated by a lpha-interferon and are unaffected by ribavirin treatment, Spontaneous loss of HGV RNA occurs over time in a proportion of patients.