GB virus C/hepatitis G virus infection in patients investigated for chronic liver disease and in the general population in southern Sweden
Author
Summary, in English
Serum samples from patients referred for liver biopsy for investigation of suspected chronic liver disease (n = 286) and from healthy middle-aged volunteers (n = 445) were analyzed for markers of exposure to GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV), hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus. GBV-C/HGV analyses included GBV-C/HGV PCR for detection of viremia and GBV-C/HGV enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for anti-GBV-C/HGV E2 antibodies. Liver biopsies were re-evaluated by a hepatopathologist. GBV-C/HGV markers were detected in 97/286 (34%) patients (GBV-C/HGV RNA = 26; anti-GBV-C/HGV E2 antibodies = 74) compared to 86/445 (19%; p < 0.0001) controls (GBV-C/HGV RNA = 7, anti-GBB-C/HGV E2 antibodies = 79). A significantly higher proportion of GBV-C/HGV-exposed subjects in the patient group were viremic compared to controls (27% vs. 8.1%; p = 0.0015). GBV-C/HGV markers were more commonly found in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C. In patients with GBV-C/HGV viremia, a higher occurrence of bile duct degeneration was detected than in non-viremic patients. Markers of GBV-C/HGV infection were over-represented among patients investigated for chronic liver disease, and ongoing GBV-C/HGV viremia was more common in this group than in controls. Apart from a higher prevalence of bile duct degeneration in viremic patients, infection with GBV-C/HGV did not confer any specific histological characteristics.
Department/s
- Infectious Diseases Research Unit
- Clinical Microbiology, Malmö
- Pathology, Malmö
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö
- Chronic Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases Research Unit
- Geriatric Medicine
Publishing year
2001
Language
English
Pages
611-617
Publication/Series
Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume
33
Issue
8
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Informa Healthcare
Topic
- Infectious Medicine
Status
Published
Research group
- Infectious Diseases Research Unit
- Clinical Microbiology, Malmö
- Pathology, Malmö
- Chronic Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases Research Unit
- Geriatric Medicine
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1651-1980