Infection with hepatitis G virus and its strain variant, the GB agent (GBV-C), among blood donors in Japan

Abstract

Background: The purpose of the study was to survey the epidemiology of recently reported non-A through -E hepatitis virus designated hepatitis G virus (HGV) and its strain variant, the GB agent (GBV-C).

Study design and methods: Pilot samples from 2461 blood donors in Japan, randomly selected to form cohorts with different levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and markers of hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, were tested for RNA of HGV/GBV-C by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction with nested primers deduced from the 5'-noncoding region.

Results: HGV/GBV-C RNA was detected in 23 (7.4%) of the 361 donors with anti-HCV and HCV RNA. This detection is more frequent than that in donors without elevated ALT levels (< or = 45 U/L) or markers of HCV or hepatitis B virus infection (15/1303; 1.2%) (p < 0.001), donors with ALT values between 46 and 99 U per L (0/108) (p < 0.002), donors with ALT values > or = 100 U per L (5/361; 1.4%), and donors with anti-HCV but without detectable HCV RNA (1/93; 1.1%) (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: More than 1 percent of Japanese blood donors were infected with HGV/GBV-C, and the prevalence was much higher in those with HCV RNA. Should persistent infection with HGV/GBV-C induce any hepatotoxic sequelae, either alone or in concert with the other hepatitis viruses, screening of blood units for HGV/GBV-C would deserve consideration.