Infection with GB virus C/hepatitis G virus among blood donors and hemophiliacs in Martinique, a Caribbean island

GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) RNA was detected by reverse transc ription-polymerase chain reaction with primers derived from the nonstructur al region 3 (NS3) in 9 (4.1%) of 221 blood donors and 2 of 20 (10%) hemophi lia patients in Martinique, French West Indies. Anti-E2 antibodies were fou nd in sera from 33 (14.9%) of the blood donors and 5 (25%) of the hemophili acs. None of the subjects was positive for both GBV-C/HGV RNA and anti-E2. Among the 20 hemophiliacs, 12 (60%) had anti-HCV antibodies and 7 (35%) wer e positive for HCV RNA by PCR. All patients positive for HCV markers belong ed to the group of 13 patients exposed previously to blood factor concentra tes that were not activated virally. Nucleotide sequences of the 5'-untrans lated region (5'UTR) of the GBV-C/HGV genome were obtained for the 10 NS3 P CR positive samples. Phylogenetic comparison of these isolates with referen ce isolates published previously showed a strong homology with European and American GBV-C/HGV strains, 8 isolates belonging to the genotype 2a and 1 isolate to the type 2b. The isolate from 1 blood donor was identified as su btype 1 a, indicating the presence of West African type strains. (C) 1999 W iley-Liss, Inc.