HEPATITIS-G VIRUS-INFECTION IN LYMPHOMA AND IN BLOOD-DONORS

Aims-To determine whether the recently described flavivirus, hepatitis G virus (HGV), might contribute to the pathogenesis of lymphoma by te sting for the presence of HGV RNA in sera from patients attending lymp homa clinics; to compare the incidence of HGV RNA in lymphoma patients with that in normal blood donors; and to look for potential risk fact ors for HGV infection and for evidence of hepatic disease in the HGV p ositive patients. Methods-Sera were examined from 76 patients with lym phoma and 100 blood donors for the presence of HGV RNA using reverse t ranscriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results-HGV RNA was d etected in 10% of patients sera, but only in 1% of blood donor samples . HGV infection was found in patients with various different types of lymphoma, including Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The majority (75%) of patients who were HGV PCR positive had undergone tra nsfusion, but only 30% of those who were HGV PCR negative had received blood products. In addition, the number of donor exposures per HGV po sitive patient was approximately twice that of the HGV negative group. Conclusions-The data suggest (1) that HGV is present in the normal bl ood donor population; (2) that patients with lymphoma are at risk of a cquiring HGV because of their exposure to blood products; and (3) that persistent HGV infection does not appear to cause serious liver disea se in these patients.