Blood Transfusion and Hepatitis G

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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Molecular evidence for transmission of hepatitis G virus by blood transfusion

The Lancet ◽

10.1016/s0140-6736(96)91396-3 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 347 (9005) ◽

pp. 909 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

B. Schmidt ◽

K. Korn ◽

B. Fleckenstein

Keyword(s):

Blood Transfusion ◽

Molecular Evidence ◽

Hepatitis G Virus ◽

Hepatitis G

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Prevalence of Hepatitis G Virus in Liver Disease

Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology ◽

10.1155/1999/624969 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 823-826

Author(s):

Hitoshi Takagi ◽

Satoru Kakizaki ◽

Ken Satoh ◽

Mitsuo Toyoda ◽

Norio Horiguchi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Liver Disease ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

Blood Transfusion ◽

Fulminant Hepatitis ◽

Hepatitis G Virus ◽

Patients With Diabetes ◽

History Of ◽

Type C ◽

Hepatitis G

The prevalence of hepatitis G virus (HGV) in liver disease of non-A, -B, -C viral hepatitis, hepatitis B and hepatitis C was determined. Two of 44 patients (4.5%) with liver injury without any hepatitis A, B or C marker were positive for HGV. One of five cases of hepatocellular carcinoma was positive for HGV. One of three cases with fulminant hepatitis was positive for HGV. This case was negative at the onset of fulminant hepatitis and became positive after plasmapheresis. No patient with acute (n=8) or chronic (n=5) hepatitis or liver cirrhosis (n=8) was positive for HGV in non-A, -B, -C liver disease. One of 30 patients with various HBV-positive liver diseases and nine (17.3) of 52 patients with type C liver disease were positive for HGV. In patients with hepatitis C, four (28.6%) of 14 HGV-co-infected patients were complicated with diabetes mellitus compared with four (10.5%) of 38 single hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients (not significant). In 12 HGV-positive patients, eight of 10 (80%) had a history of blood transfusion. In HCV-positive patients, co-infection with HGV was not a risk factor in patients with diabetes mellitus as a complication. HGV appeared to cause non-A, -B, -C hepatitis rarely, and its main route of infection was blood transfusion.

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Seroprevalence of Hepatitis G Virus IgG antibody among blood donors, pregnant women, neonates and apparently healthy population

Faridpur Medical College Journal ◽

10.3329/fmcj.v9i1.23619 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 28-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mohammad Sohel Showkath ◽

Osul Ahmed Chowdhury ◽

Shantanu Das ◽

Kaniz Fatema ◽

Kanti Priyo Das ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Transfusion ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Blood Donors ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Hepatitis G Virus ◽

New Born ◽

Previous Blood Transfusion ◽

Hepatitis G ◽

Apparently Healthy

This cross sectional and observational study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Sylhet, during the period from 1st January 2012 to 31st December 2012 with a view to explore the seropositivity of Hepatitis G virus (HGV) in blood donors, pregnant women, new born and apparently healthy subjects. For this purpose 45 blood donors, 45 pregnant women, 45 new born babies of same mothers and 45 apparently healthy subjects were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The HGV antibody was measured in venous blood from blood donor, pregnant women and apparently healthy subjects; and cord blood from newborn babies with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The mean age of the blood donors, pregnant women and healthy subjects was 24.9 (SD ± 3.5) years; 24.9 (SD ± 3.5) years and 22.1 (SD ± 1.5) years respectively. The overall seropositivity of HGV was 3 (1.7%). The seropostivity of HGV of blood donors, new born babies and healthy subjects was 1 (2.2%) in each group but no HGV antibody positivity among the pregnant women (p=0.797). Among the male patients 2 (2.2%) patients were seropositive for HGV; while in female patients, 1 (1.1%) patient was seropositive for HGV (p=0.547). Among the patients with previous blood transfusion 1 (1.9%) patient was seropositive for HGV; while among patients without previous blood transfusion 2 (1.6%) patients were seropositive for HGV (p=0.882). This study yielded that there is high prevalence of HGV seropositivity among population in this region of Bangladesh. So, screening of blood units for HGV would deserve consideration.Faridpur Med. Coll. J. 2014;9(1): 28-31

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