DETECTION OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-RNA IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE NON-A-E HEPATITIS

We investigated the possible role of hepatitis G virus (HGV or GBV-C) in the aetiology of acute non-A-E hepatitis in Argentina by detecting viral RNA in sera by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction ( RT-PCR) using primers specific for the putative NS3 helicase region of HGV. Sixty two patients with acute hepatitis were included in this st udy. The absence of hepatitis A-E was confirmed by serological testing , and all patients were negative for HCV RNA and autoimmune markers. A ll patients denied alcohol intake and the use of hepatotoxic drugs. Th eir mean age was 35.3 years and 37 were males. HGV RNA was present in 19/62 (30.6%) of the patients with non-A-E acute hepatitis. Among HGV- positive patients, three had parenteral risk factors within 3 months o f onset, one was a health care worker, one was sexually promiscuous, o ne had travelled to the Middle East and 13 (68.4%) had no history of p arenteral exposure. Epidemiological, clinical and biochemical features between HGV-positive and negative patients did not achieve statistica l significance. Hence, HGV appears to play a role in the pathogenesis of acute viral hepatitis; however, the etiology of a significant numbe r of hepatitis cases remains unclear, suggesting the existence of an a dditional agent(s). The absence of parenteral exposure in most of the HGV RNA-positive patients in this study shows that routes of community -acquired HGV infection are not yet completely understood.