Characteristics of patients with hepatitis C virus with and without GB virus C/Hepatitis G virus Co‐infection and efficacy of interferon alfa

• Published in: Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) Vol. 27; no. 5; pp. 1388 - 1393
• Main Authors: Enomoto, Masaru, Nishiguchi, Shuhei, Fukuda, Katsuhiko, Kuroki, Tetsuo, Tanaka, Motoharu, Otani, Shuzo, Ogami, Masayuki, Monna, Takeyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA W.B. Saunders 01.05.1998; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Flaviviridae - pathogenicity; Hepatitis Antibodies - analysis; Hepatitis C - complications; Hepatitis C - drug therapy; Hepatitis C - pathology; Hepatitis C - virology; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - complications; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - drug therapy; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - pathology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; RNA, Viral - analysis; Time Factors; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis; Human; Biochemical analysis; Alpha interferon; Treatment efficiency; Liver; Hepatic disease; GBV-C hepatitis; Infection; Virus; Concomitant disease; Enzymatic activity; Viral disease; Immunotherapy; Risk factor; Digestive diseases; Flaviviridae; Hepatitis C virus; Hepacivirus; Comparative study; Viral hepatitis C
• ISSN: 0270-9139; 1527-3350
• DOI: 10.1002/hep.510270528

GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV‐C/HGV) infection seems to be common among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We studied retrospectively the proportions of patients with GBV‐C/HGV RNA and antibodies to the GBV‐C/HGV second envelope protein (anti‐E2) among 149 subjects with chronic hepatitis C who had received interferon alfa. The clinical characteristics of patients with GBV‐C/HGV RNA or anti‐E2 were examined, as was the efficacy of the treatment. Stored serum specimens were tested for GBV‐C/HGV RNA by the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and for anti‐E2 by an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Of the 149 patients before therapy, 8 (5%) had GBV‐C/HGV RNA only, 72 (48%) had anti‐E2 only, and 4 (3%) had both. The mean age of patients with GBV‐C/HGV RNA (some with anti‐E2) was significantly less than that of patients with anti‐E2 only. Results of laboratory and histological evaluations were not different depending on the presence of GBV‐C/HGV RNA or anti‐E2. The GBV‐C/HGV RNA titer decreased during therapy in all 12 patients with GBV‐C/HGV RNA; only 4, with a low titer before therapy and with anti‐E2 detected at some time, had sustained clearance of GBV‐C/HGV. Our results suggested that half of the patients with chronic hepatitis C had been exposed to GBV‐C/HGV, but in almost all, the virus had been cleared; also, even chronic GBV‐C/HGV infection did not affect the severity of the disease arising from HCV. Interferon alfa treatment was sometimes effective against GBV‐C/HGV, and anti‐E2 may be associated with clearance of GBV‐C/HGV.