Hepatitis G virus coinfection influences the liver histology of patients with chronic hepatitis C

Aims/Background: The present investigation compared the histological featur es of the liver of chronic hepatitis C patients who are or are not coinfect ed with hepatitis G virus (HGV) to determine the histological and clinical characteristics of HGV infection. Subjects and Methods: This study included 294 patients with chronic hepatitis C who visited our institution between 1993 and 1995. Detection of serum HGV RNA was performed by nested reverse t ranscription-polymerase chain reaction. Scores were assigned to indicate th e severity of each of the following features on the liver biopsy of a patie nt: inflammatory cell infiltration in the periportal, parenchymal, and port al area; fibrous stage; lymphoid aggregates in the portal area; portal scle rotic change; perivenular fibrosis; pericellular fibrosis; bile duct damage ; bridging necrosis; and irregular regeneration of hepatocytes (IR). Result s: HGV RNA was detected in the sera of 18 (9.3%) of the 194 patients. The h istological features of the HGV RNA-positive patients show significantly mo re severe bile duct damage, perivenular fibrosis, pericellular fibrosis and IR than the liver of the HGV RNA-negative patients. The biochemical result s in the two groups did not significantly differ. Conclusion: Our data sugg est that chronic HGV coinfection worsens the histological features of liver disease.