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. 1998 Jan;36(1):110-4.
doi: 10.1128/JCM.36.1.110-114.1998.

Past and present hepatitis G virus infections in areas where hepatitis C is highly endemic and those where it is not endemic

E Tanaka  1 , M Tacke, M Kobayashi, Y Nakatsuji, K Kiyosawa, S Schmolke, A M Engel, G Hess, H J Alter
Affiliations

Past and present hepatitis G virus infections in areas where hepatitis C is highly endemic and those where it is not endemic

E Tanaka et al. J Clin Microbiol. 1998 Jan.

Abstract

We reported previously on an area in Japan where over 30% of the inhabitants were positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody. In the present study, clinical features of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection in this area of high endemicity were compared to those in an area where HCV is not endemic. A total of 400 individuals were selected randomly from those who were medically screened for liver disease in 1993; 200 were from the high-endemicity area, and the other 200 were from the no-endemicity area. HGV RNA was measured by reverse transcription and PCR with primers in the 5' noncoding region. Antibody to HGV envelope protein E2 was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Prevalence of any HGV marker in the high-endemicity area (32%) was significantly (P < 0.0001) higher than that in the no-endemicity area (6%); similar differences, 32% versus 3% (P < 0.0001), had been observed for HCV markers (HCV RNA and HCV antibody). In areas of both high and no endemicity, HCV markers were significantly more prevalent in individuals with any HGV marker than in those without HGV markers, and age-specific prevalence of HGV markers was distributed similarly to that of any HCV marker. Among possible routes of HGV transmission that were analyzed, folk medicine was significant in the high-endemicity area, but blood transfusion was the major route in the no-endemicity area. The rate of accompanying viremia in HGV infection (15%) was significantly lower than that in HCV infection (78%) (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, HGV infection was highly prevalent in the area of high HCV endemicity and was closely associated with HCV infection. HGV seemed to be transmitted via the practice of folk medicine as well as blood transfusion. HGV resulted in a chronic carrier state less frequently than did HCV.

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Figures

FIG. 1
FIG. 1
Age-specific prevalences of HBV, HCV, and HGV infections in high-endemicity and no-endemicity areas. Prevalence of exposure is indicated by both filled and open bars and reflects a positive test for at least one viral marker (HBs antigen, HBs antibody, and/or HBc antibody for HBV; HCV RNA and/or HCV antibody for HCV; and HGV RNA and/or HGV-E2 antibody for HGV). Filled bars indicate a positive test for a marker of viremia (HBs antigen for HBV, HCV RNA for HCV, and HGV RNA for HGV).
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