LACK OF INFLUENCE OF HEPATITIS-G VIRUS-INFECTION ON ALCOHOL-RELATED HEPATIC-LESIONS

Background: The purposes of this study were to analyse the prevalence and histologic impact of hepatitis G virus (HGV), a newly discovered v irus, in alcoholic patients, a population known to be at risk for vira l hepatitis. Methods: One hundred and thirty-nine consecutive alcoholi cs admitted to our liver unit (106 men and 33 women; mean age, 47.1 +/ - 10.9 years) were included in the study. All patients had consumed mo re than 60 g of ethanol per day for at least 1 year. One hundred healt hy blood donors constituted a control group. Antibodies to HGV E-2 pro tein and HGV-RNA testing by reverse transcription-polymerase chain rea ction (RT-PCR) with primers derived from the NS5 coding region were pe rformed in all serum samples. Results: A significantly higher seroprev alence of anti-E-2 antibodies was observed in alcoholic patients than in healthy brood donors ( 41 (29.5%) versus 8 (8%); P < 0.0001). Moreo ver, the prevalence of HGV-RNA was significantly higher in alcoholic p atients (13 (9.3%) versus 1 (1%); P = 0.01). HGV-RNA and anti-HGV anti bodies were never detected simultaneously. HGV viraemia was not associ ated with an increased risk of cirrhosis or hepatocarcinoma in alcohol ic subjects. Conclusions: Our study reports a high prevalence of HGV i n alcoholic patients. HGV infection does not modify or aggravate the c ourse of alcoholic liver disease.