Hepatitis G Virus Infection Rate in Blood Donors, Hemodialysis Patients and Hepatitis C Infected Patients.
- Author:
Ki Youn KIM
1
;
Seong Chul KIM
;
Won Kil LEE
;
Jay Sik KIM
;
Jang Soo SUH
;
Kyung Eun SONG
;
Dong Kyu CHO
;
Jong Gyu KIM
;
Dal Hyo SONG
Author Information
1. Department of Clinical Pathology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Hepatitis G virus;
Hepatitis C virus;
Hepatitis B virus;
Nested RT-PCR;
Blood donors;
Hemodialysis;
Liver disease
- MeSH:
5' Untranslated Regions;
Alanine;
Blood Donors*;
Blood Transfusion;
GB virus C*;
Hepacivirus;
Hepatitis B;
Hepatitis B virus;
Hepatitis C*;
Hepatitis*;
Humans;
Korea;
Liver Diseases;
Liver Function Tests;
Polymerase Chain Reaction;
Renal Dialysis*;
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction;
RNA;
Transferases
- From:Korean Journal of Clinical Pathology
1998;18(3):433-441
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: A recently identified Flaviviridae-like agent, termed hepatitis G virus (HGV), has been recognized as a non A-E hepatitis agent, but its relation to liver disease and transmission mode are not well understood. We investigated HGV infection rate in Korea and tried to clarify its relation to the liver disease. METHODS: 145 blood donors, 39 hemodialysis patients and 22 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected persons were investigated for the presence of HGV by nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (nested RT-PCR) with primers from the 5' UTR of HGV and some liver function tests. In each PCR assay, one positive and two negative controls were included. RESULTS: HGV-RNA was detected in 11 (7.6%) of 145 young voluntary blood donors and in 5 (12.8%) of 39 hemodialysis patients and in 8 (36.4%) of 22 HCV infected patients. All HGV RNA positive hemodialysis patients have a past history of transfusion, but they had a remarkably shorter duration of hemodialysis than those of HGV-negative patients. HCV infected patients with HGV-RNA tended to be younger than those without HGV-RNA. In all 15 HGV-RNA infected individuals without hepatitis B and C infection, alanine amino transferase was not increased except in 2 cases. Liver function tests did not show a significant difference between HGV-RNA positive patients and negative patients. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatitis G virus infection rate was much higher in Korea than other countries, so we suggested that group life could be another transmission mode other than blood transfusion. But even in infected cases, HGV did not seem to cause hepatitis and a high proportion cleared the virus after a relatively short time.
