DETECTION OF THE GBV-C HEPATITIS-VIRUS GENOME IN SERUM FROM PATIENTS WITH FULMINANT-HEPATITIS OF UNKNOWN ETIOLOGY

Hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, and E have not accounted for all cases o f hepatitis, hence ''non A-E'' agent(s) might be implicated. A set of new viruses (GBV-A, -B, and -C) whose genomes have been sequenced, are being investigated as possible causes of non A-E hepatitis. We invest igated six cases of fulminant hepatitis of unknown aetiology for the p resence of GBV-C genome in their serum, and three showed positive sign als by semi-nested PCR using primers derived from the NS3/helicase reg ion. Nucleotide sequence analyses confirmed these signals to be derive d from a GBV-C sequence. The results suggest the importance of GBV-C i n the aetiology of fulminant hepatitis.