Hepatitis C virus infection among liver graft recipients - Anatomoclinicalcorrelations

Hepatitis G virus (HGV) causes persistent infection in man, but its disease association is controversial. We studied the HGV disease association in 25 liver transplantation (LT) recipients without evidence of hepatitis B and C infection. HGV RNA was tested by semiquantitative RT-PCR in serial serum samples and its presence was correlated with the biochemical and histologic al evidence of liver damage. The overall prevalence of HGV infection in thi s population was 9/25 (36%), one patient being HGV RNA positive since befor e LT, while the other eight apparently acquired de novo infections after LT . In five cases, appearance of HGV was followed by biochemical and histolog ical evidence of liver damage: the liver biopsy showed acute rejection in t wo cases, acute cholangitis in two, and acute hepatitis in one. At the end of follow-up, histological evidence of chronic hepatitis was found in one H GV-positive patient but also in three HGV-negative patients, whereas the on ly patient with acute hepatitis at the time HGV RNA was first detected in s erum developed an intralobular gigantocellular granuloma. In conclusion, HG V infection after LT may be seldom associated with acute and chronic liver damage, but comparable histological features can be observed also among HGV -negative controls.