Epidemiological and quantitative study of GBV-C infection in french polytransfused children

✍ Scribed by S. Castelain; C. Francois; D. Bonte; A. Baron; B. Horle; V. Morel; B. Pautard; Gilles Duverlie

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 81 KB
• Volume: 73
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.20131

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

From 1999 to 2002, 246 serum samples taken from polytransfused children were tested for the presence of GB virus C (GBV‐C) RNA using a real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) assay. This assay was based on the TaqMan technology and allowed viral load determination in infected children with a dynamic range from 10^3^ to 10^7^ genome equivalent (gEq) copies/ml. The limit of detection was estimated to 619 gEq copies/ml with a ≥95% probability of a positive result. Thirty five sera were found to be GBV‐C RNA positive, corresponding to a prevalence of GBV‐C of 14.2%. The mean viral load was high, i.e., 6 ± 1.4 log (range 3.22–7.42) gEq copies/ml, but low viral loads were also detected. Sequencing of the 5′‐untranslated region (UTR) identified a majority of genotype 2 strains (82%) distributed into two subtypes, 88.5% genotype 2a and 11.5% genotype 2b. In conclusion, GBV‐C active infection is very frequent in exposed populations such as polytransfused children. GBV‐C RNA quantitation using real‐time assay may be useful for diagnosis and follow‐up of the natural history of GBV‐C infection. J. Med. Virol. 73:596–600, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.