HIGH PREVALENCE OF GB-VIRUS-C HEPATITIS-G VIRUS-RNA IN PATIENTS INFECTED WITH HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS

Prevalence of GBV-C/HGV was determined in a cohort of HIV-infected pat ients, via a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction detection of RNA in serum, amplifying the NS5 region of GBV-C/HGV genome. GBV-C /HGV RNA was detected in 143 (37.7%) of 379 patients, with similar res ults in the different HIV risk groups: 25/56 (44.6%) in intravenous dr ug users, 66/161 (41%) in homo- and bisexual men, 35/108 (32.4%) in he terosexual patients, 6/20 (30%) in transfusion recipients (P = 0.41). There was no difference according to the presence or absence of hepati tis C virus infection. In univariate analysis, GBV-C/HGV genome preval ence was lower in patients over 50 years old (18.2%), compared to othe r age groups (20-29 years: 34.2%; 30-39 years: 44.3%; 40-49 years: 36. 7%, P= 0.03), as well as in patients with normal CD4 cell count (29.2% vs. 45.4% between 200-500/mm(3), and 35.3% below 200 CD4/mm(3), P = 0 .012) and individuals with a chronic hepatitis B. However, in the mult ivariate analysis, the only prognostic factor of GBV-C/HGV RNA positiv ity was the presence of a chronic hepatitis B, compared to the absence of any HBV marker, or a previous exposition to HBV (presence of anti- HBc and/or anti-HBs, absence of HBsAg), or the presence of anti-HBs al one. J. Med. Virol. 57:75-79, 1999. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.