GB virus C/hepatitis G virus infection in Chinese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Although hepatitis B and C viruses are closely related to hepatocellular ca rcinoma (HCC), the association between the newly discovered GB virus C (GBV -C)/hepatitis G virus (HGV) and HCC is not yet known. Sera from 124 patient s with HCC in China were tested for GBV-C/HGV RNA by the reverse-transcript ion polymerase chain reaction with subsequent hybridization using GBV-C/HGV probes located at the 3'-untranslated region of the reported genomes. GBV- C/HGV RNA was detected in 33 (27%) of them, including 18 of the 59 (31%) pa tients with HBsAg, 12 of the 22 (55%) with both HBsAg and anti-HCV, and thr ee of the 33 (9%) negative for either HBsAg or anti-HCV; it was not detecte d in any of the 10 with anti-HCV alone. There were no differences in clinic al backgrounds between the patients with HBsAg and/or anti-HCV who possesse d and who did not possess GBV-C/HGV RNA in serum. These results indicate th at, although GBV-C/HGV is highly prevalent in Chinese patients with HCC, th e role of GBV-C/HGV in hepatocarcinogenesis would be minimal in the develop ment of non-B, non-C HCC. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.