HEPATITIS-G VIRUS (GBV-C) INFECTION AMONG BRAZILIAN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LIVER-DISEASE AND BLOOD-DONORS

Background: The recently discovered hepatitis G virus (HGV) belongs, a s hepatitis C virus (HCV), to the Flaviviridae family. HGV has been is olated from the serum of patients with non A-E hepatitis. However, the association of HGV with hepatitis is uncertain. Objective: To determi ne the HGV prevalence in blood donors and in patients with liver disea se and to evaluate a possible correlation between HGV infection and li ver disease. Study design: Sera from a total of 113 consecutive patien ts with chronic liver disease were submitted to a series of liver enzy mes and function tests and analyzed for the presence of HBsAg, anti-HB s, anti-HBc, anti-HCV, HCV RNA and HGV RNA. Prevalence of HGV RNA was determined in a group of 87 blood donors. Results: Nine (10%) sera fro m blood donors and 15 (13%) sera from patients with chronic liver dise ase were HGV RNA positive. Some 28 (25%) patients were HCV RNA positiv e, with genotypes 1a, 1b and 3 present in 10, 12 and 5 patients, respe ctively. A total of 20 (18%) patients were HBsAg carriers. Five (4%) p atients were double infected (one with HBV + HCV, one with HBV + HGV a nd three with HCV + HGV). Conclusion: The proportion (10%) of HGV-infe cted blood donors was very high when compared with other countries. Th e results did not allow to establish HGV as an etiologic agent for chr onic liver disease. The parenteral route was the presumed means of HGV transmission for only one-third of the patients. (C) 1998 Published b y Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.