Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, Vol 12, Issue 8 1645-1651, Copyright © 1997 by Oxford University Press
F Fabrizi, G Lunghi, G Bacchini, M Corti, I Guarnori, L Raffaele, G Erba, A Pagano and F Locatelli
Background: The cloning of the hepatitis G virus
(HGV), a novel RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family,
has been very recently developed. HGV is known to be parenterally
transmitted and has been detected in several patients with cryptogenic
hepatitis. However, little information exists about the epidemiology of HGV
infection in renal patients. We studied 178 chronic dialysis patients and
11 renal transplant individuals to evaluate prevalence risk factors and
clinical manifestations of HGV infection in this population.
Method: Hepatitis G virus infection has been detected
by a modified PCR technology which incorporates digoxigenin-labelled
nucleotides into the amplicon. Primers from the non-coding region and the
NS-5 region of HGV are utilized for a single round amplification. Using a
streptavidin surface and a biotin-labelled capture probe the labelled
nucleic acid is bound through the capture probe to the surface, and the
amplified nucleic acid is detected using antibody to digoxigenin.
Results: HGV RNA was detected in 6% of chronic
haemodialysis (HD) patients (11/172), 36% of renal transplant recipients
(4/11), and 17% (1/6) of patients on peritoneal dialysis treatment (CAPD).
There were no significant differences between HGV positive and negative
patients on chronic HD treatment with regard to several demographic,
biochemical and virological features. However, the frequency of anti-HCV
antibody was significantly higher in HGV-positive than HGV-negative
patients (9/11 (82%) vs 51/161 (32%), P=0.006). In the
whole group of HGV RNA-positive patients, 78% (11/14) had a history of
blood transfusion requirements, 14/16 (87%) had co-infection with HCV, and
1 (6%) had co-infection with HBsAg. There was no significant association
between HCV genotypes and HGV RNA positivity. Six (27.5%) of 16 HGV
RNA-positive patients showed raised aminotransferase values in serum.
Conclusion: Patients on maintenance dialysis and
kidney transplant recipients are at increased risk of HGV infection; HGV is
very frequently associated to hepatitis C co-infection, regardless of HCV
genotype. HGV may be transmitted by blood transfusions but transmission
routes other than transfusion are possible; 37.5% of HGV RNA-positive
patients showed raised serum amoinotransferase levels. Further
investigations are necessary to clarify the role of HGV infection in the
development of liver disease in this clinical setting.
Keywords: hepatitis G virus infection; chronic
dialysis patients; kidney transplant recipients; peritoneal dialysis
treatment
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Hepatitis G virus infection in chronic dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients
Nephrology and Dialysis Unit and Blood Transfusion Center, Hospital, Lecco, Italy; Institute of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Milan, Italy; Corresponding author at: School of Medicine, 675 Circle Dr. South, MRL Room 1230, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7019, USA
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  H. Hinrichsen, G. Leimenstoll, G. Stegen, H. Schrader, U. R. Folsch, and W. E. Schmidt Prevalence of and risk factors for hepatitis G (HGV) infection in haemodialysis patients: a multicentre study Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., February 1, 2002; 17(2): 271 - 275. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Pérez-Gracia, F. Galán, J. A. Girón-González, A. Lozano, B. Benavides, E. Fernández, and M. Rodríguez-Iglesias Detection of Hepatitis G Virus (HGV) RNA and Antibodies to the HGV Envelope Protein E2 in a Cohort of Hemodialysis Patients J. Clin. Microbiol., November 1, 2000; 38(11): 4277 - 4279. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Dalekos, E. Zervou, M. Elisaf, D. Boumba, K. Katopodis, G. Sferopoulos, K. Siamopoulos, and E. Tsianos Increased prevalence of markers of GBV-C/HGV infection in a selected cohort of haemodialysis patients negative for other blood-borne viruses Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., January 1, 1999; 14(1): 255 - 256. [PDF]
|
|