Exposure to GB virus type C or hepatitis G virus in selected Australian adult and children populations

• Published in: Transfusion (Philadelphia, Pa.) Pa.), 1998-09, Vol.38 (9), p.821-827
• Main Authors: Hyland, C. A., Mison, L., Solomon, N., Cockerill, J., Wang, L., Hunt, J., Selvey, L. A., Faoagali, J., Cooksley, W. G. E., Young, I. F., Trowbridge, R., Borthwick, I., Gowans, E. J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Australia - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Donors; Blood. Blood and plasma substitutes. Blood products. Blood cells. Blood typing. Plasmapheresis. Apheresis; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Flaviviridae - genetics; Flaviviridae - immunology; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - epidemiology; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - virology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infant; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Pregnancy; RNA, Viral - blood; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy; Viral diseases; Viral Envelope Proteins - immunology; Viral hepatitis
• ISSN: 0041-1132; 1537-2995
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1998.38998409001.x

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology and disease association for the GB virus type C (GBV‐C) or hepatitis G virus (HGV) are poorly understood. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This study describes the exposure rates to GBV‐ C/HGV in diverse Australian population groups by testing for current infection and evidence of past infection with a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and an anti‐E2 enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Subjects included volunteer blood donors, hepatitis C antibody (anti‐HCV)‐positive donors, children, hemodialysis patients, pregnant women attending a prenatal clinic, injecting drug users (IVDUs), and adult hemophiliacs. RESULTS: Combined GBV‐C RNA and E2 antibody prevalence was 6.5 percent (6/93) in children, 13.3 percent (75/565) in blood donors, 14 percent (14/99) in pregnant women, 22.5 percent (18/80) in hemodialysis patients, 80 percent (56/70) in anti‐ HCV‐positive donors, 88.6 percent (31/35) in IVDUs, and 85.7 percent (54/63) in adult hemophiliacs. Children had the lowest antibody rate, 1.1 percent, whereas the rate was 10.8 percent for blood donors and rose to 45.7 percent for IVDUs, 57.1 percent for anti‐HCV‐positive donors, and 74.6 percent for hemophiliacs. In contrast, current infection rates were comparable for children, blood donors, and pregnant women (5.4, 2.6, and 6%, respectively), rising to 11.1 percent for hemophiliacs, 24.3 percent for anti‐HCV‐positive donors, and 48.6 percent for IVDUs. Ten of 12 blood donors had persistent viremia, while 2 had recent infections, 1 with apparent resolution. CONCLUSION: Exposure to GBV‐C can commence at an early age, although ongoing exposure may also occur among adults with no apparent risk factors. GBV‐ C RNA positivity was not associated with abnormal plasma alanine aminotransferase levels among blood donors.