HEPATITIS-G VIRUS-INFECTION IN HEMODIALYSIS-PATIENTS

The increased risk of hemodialysis patients for infections sustained b y hepatitis viruses is likely to extend to a newly discovered parenter ally transmitted virus, HGBV-C/HGV, able to cause acute and chronic he patitis. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and clinic al relevance of this infection in Italian haemodialysis patients. Nine teen of 100 patients (19%) on maintenance hemodialysis were viremic fo r HGBV-C/HGV, and all of them were infected with a HGV-like genotype. Eight of these patients were coinfected by hepatitis B or hepatitis C viruses. A clinical picture of chronic hepatitis was not appreciable i n patients with isolated HGV infection and the presence of HGV did not appear to modify the clinical course of hepatitis B and hepatitis C i nfections.