Infection with hepatitis G-virus and viral hepatitis in India

Association of a new non-A-E hepatitis virus designated as hepatitis G viru s (HGV) or GBV-C with acute and chronic hepatitis, particularly with fulmin ant hepatic failure is not clearly understood. In view of paucity of data o n the prevalence of HGV in India where viral hepatitis is a major public he alth problem, we have examined the presence of HGV infection in patients wi th acute viral hepatitis (AVH), fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) and in norm al healthy blood donors, HGV-RNA sequences were detected in patient's serum by reverse transcription plus nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) us ing primer sequences located in the conserved NS3 helicase region of the HG V genome. Serum samples collected from 36 acute viral hepatitis, 16 fulmina nt hepatic failure and 50 healthy voluntary blood donors who did not have s ymptoms of viral infection or liver disease were recruited for the study. H GV-RNA was detected in 6 (37.5%) of 16 patients with fulminant hepatic fail ure, in 7 (19.4%) of 36 acute viral hepatitis, and two (4%) in 50 control b lood donors. Of the 6 HGV positive FPF patients, only one (1/6; 16.6%) was in non A-E category while 5 (20.0%) patients were HGV positive out of the 2 5 non AE AVH cases. In both AVH and FHF, HGV was more frequently detected i n (8/13; 61.5%) patients coinfected with other hepatotropic viruses and the most common co-infections were found to be HEV (6/8; 75%) and HBV (5/8; 62 .5%), The frequency of hepatitis G virus is found to be certainly higher (3 7.5 %) in fulminant hepatic failure than that in any other type of viral he patitis in India. But since the virus is often detected in co-infection wit h either hepatitis B or E virus, which are known potential hepatitis agents , the role of HGV as an independent hepatitis agent is uncertain.