HIGH PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS-G VIRUS AFTER LIVER-TRANSPLANTATION WITHOUT APPARENT INFLUENCE ON LONG-TERM GRAFT FUNCTION

Background/Aims: Hepatitis G virus is a recently characterized transfu sion-transmissible RNA virus, Its pathogenicity remains to be establis hed, We studied its prevalence in liver transplant patients and assess ed the long-term influence on the liver graft, Methods: Thirty-nine ad ult patients without hepatitis B or C were included; median follow-up was 8 years (range 1-17), Serum samples from before and late after tra nsplantation were investigated for the presence of HGV-RNA. HGV-RNA wa s detected by cDNA-PCR, using primers from the NS3 region of the viral genome. The latest available yearly liver biopsy was assessed in a co ded fashion according to established histological criteria, The outcom e in the HGV-positive patients was compared with the outcome in the HG V-negative patients with respect to liver tests and liver histology. R esults: The prevalence before and after transplantation was 15.4 and 4 3.6%, respectively, Liver test results and liver histology did not dif fer between the HGV and non-HGV groups, In both groups more than 50% o f the patients showed normal histology. Mild portal and/or lobular inf lammation tended to be more prevalent in the non-HGV group (no statist ical difference), Conclusions: HGV infection is highly prevalent in li ver transplant patients, In the absence of co-infection with hepatitis B or C virus, no long-term negative influence on the graft occurs.