BIOCHEMICAL AND HISTOLOGICAL FEATURES OF HEPATITIS-G VIRUS-INFECTION

To assess the biochemical and histological characteristics of hepatiti s G virus (HGV) infection, we examined four patients who were infected with HGV only (HGV group), and compared them with 16 patients infecte d with both HGV and hepatitis C virus (HCV; HGV + HCV group) and 18 pa tients infected with HCV only (HCV group). Biochemical examination sho wed a significantly low level of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the HGV group, and that the gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT P)/ALT ratio in the same group was significantly higher than in the ot her two groups. Although all three patient groups had a similar degree of liver fibrosis, both the degree of periportal inflammation and tot al histological activity index were significantly lower in the HGV gro up than in the other two groups. Fibrous enlargement of the portal tra ct without lymphoid infiltration and thin fibrous septa was characteri stically observed in the HGV group. No significant difference was foun d between the HGV + HCV group and HCV group. Our results suggest that biochemical and histological changes in HGV infection are very mild an d quite different from those of HCV infection.