Prevalence of Hepatitis G Virus Inflection in Korean Patients with Chronic Liver Diseases

Kim, Chung Yong; Lee, Hyo Suk; Lee, Jin Ho; Lee, Han Ju; Yoon, Jung Hwan

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Recently, a new viruse was identified from PNF 2,161 serum of patient with posttransfusion hepatitis and was named as 'hepatitis G virus (HGV). To evaluate the influence of HGV infection on chronic liver disease (CLD) and to get an insight into the mode of transmission, we investigated the prevalence rate of HGV infection in patients with NBNC CLD. Then, the results were compared with the prevalence rate of patients with different pathologic and etiologic states of CLD.
METHODS
Through RT-PCR using primers of NS-5, HGV-RNA was detected in the serum of 409 patients with CLD (The patients included 272 patients with NBNC infection, 42 patients with HBV infection, 68 patients with HCV infection, and 27 patients with alcoholic liver diseases). The specificity of the PCR products was confirmed by liquid hybridization. The data were shown as percentage and 95% confidence interval.
RESULTS
In patients with NBNC infection, HGV-RNA were detected in 5.1% (3.1-8.5%); specifically, the prevalence rates of HGV infection in patients with chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, were 3.4% (1.7-6.9%), 10.0% (4.3-21.4%) and 11.1% (3.1-32.8%) respectively. The prevalence of HGV infection in HBV- and HCV-associated CLD and alcoholic liver disease were 4.8% (1.3-15.8%), 5.9% (2.3-14.2%) and 0.0% (0.0-12.5%), respectively. The HGV prevalence according to the different pathologic state of CLD were 3.2% (1.7-6.0%) in chronic hepatitis, 7.4% (3.6-14.4%) in liver cirrhosis and 12.5% (5.0-28.1%) in hepatocellular carcinoma.
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggested that HGV might play causative roles in the progression of chronic liver disease, especially, in NBNC patients. In addition, HGV might be transmitted through the parenteral routes sharing with HBV or HCV because of coinfection with these viruses.