Prevalence and histologic features of transfusion transmitted virus and hepatitis C virus coinfection in a group of HIV patients

Background. A recently identified DIVA transfusion-transmitted virus has be en associated with post-transfusion non-A to G hepatitis. Aim. To determine the prevalence of transfusion-transmitted virus in patien ts with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Its clinical role in the pa thogenesis of liver disease was also evaluated in patients with transfusion -transmitted-virus hepatitis G virus coinfection compared with those with h epatitis C Virus infection, alone. Patients and Methods. We evaluated 312 HIV-hepatitis C virus coinfected pat ients (225 males, 87 females). AN underwent screening for transfusion-trans mitted virus DIVA using a nested polymerase chain reaction technique. In so me transfusion transmitted virus-DIVA positive patients, we performed a phy logenetic analysis. In 56 patients (20 transfusion-transmitted-virus-hepati tis C virus and 36 hepatitis C virus alone), liver biopsy was collected. Results. The prevalence of transfusion-transmitted virus was 113/312 (36%). The genotype distribution was similar to that reported in other studies. N o difference in liver histology was found between the two groups. Conclusion. Transfusion-transmitted virus infection is common in human immu nodeficiency virus patients. We found no histologic differences between liv er biopsy specimens from patients coinfected with transfusion-transmitted v irus plus hepatitis C Virus compared with those infected with hepatitis C V irus alone. Transfusion-transmitted virus is not clearly associated with a distinct liver injury.