GB-VIRUS-C HEPATITIS-G VIRUS-INFECTION AMONG PATIENTS WITH HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA

To elucidate the prevalence and association of GB virus Clhepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) infection among patients with hepatocellular carcino ma (HCC), GBV-C/HGV RNA was screened by the reverse transcription poly merase chain reaction using the specific primers derived from 5'-untra nslated region and NS3 in sera from 60 HCC patients admitted in our ho spital between 1993 and 1996. Of 60 patients, 12 (20%) showed positivi ty for one of HBV related viral markers such as HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti- HBc and WBV DNA, 24 (40%) for one of HCV markers such as anti-HCV and HCV RNA, 18 (30%) for both HBV and HCV markers, and six (10%) showed n egativity for both HBV and HCV markers. GBV-C/HGV RNA was detected in five (8.3%). One patient (8.3%) was included in 12 HCC patients with H BV markers, one (4.2%) was in 24 with HCV markers alone, and two (11.1 %) was in 18 with HBV and HCV markers, and one (16.7%) was in six with out HBV and HCV markers. Only the history of blood transfusion was sig nificantly different between the patients with and without GBV-C/HGV R NA. These results indicated that: (1) GBV-C/HGV infection is associate d with only a small proportion of HCC; (2) blood transfusion is a majo r important route for GBV-C/HGV transmission; (3) laboratory findings and characteristics of HCC are not significantly different between HCC patients with and without GBV-C/HGV. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Irelan d Ltd.