DETECTION OF HEPATITIS GB VIRUS TYPE-C RNA IN SERUM AND LIVER FROM CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC VIRAL-HEPATITIS-B AND VIRAL-HEPATITIS-C

The aim of this work was to study the presence of the hepatitis GB vir us type C (HGBV-C) in liver and serum samples of children with chronic viral hepatitis, the time course of changes in viral RNA, and the pos sible acquisition routes of infection. Frozen serum and liver samples from 58 children with chronic hepatitis B (n = 33) or C (n = 25) were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction. Twenty-seven children had be en included in different interferon trials. Two additional serum sampl es from the HGBV-C positive children as well as serum samples from 29 of their relatives were also analyzed. HGBV-C RNA was detected in seru m and liver samples from 9 of 58 (15%) of children as well as in serum samples from 3 of 29 of the relatives of the HGBV-C-infected children : the mother and the brother of one child (index case A) and the mothe r of another child (index case B). The homologies of the HGBV-C RNA se quences were 93% between index case A and his mother, 88% between inde x case A and his brother, and 94% between index case B and his mother. In the 3 children receiving alpha-interferon, HGBV-C RNA became undet ectable during treatment although it reappeared in 2 of them after the rapy. In conclusion, we found that 15% of children with chronic viral hepatitis were coinfected with HGBV-C. HGBV-C RNA was simultaneously p resent in serum and liver samples and tended to remain detectable even after alpha-interferon therapy, Our results suggest that vertical tra nsmission of HGBV-C may occur.