GBV-C/HGV infection in children with chronic hepatitis C

✍ Scribed by Komatsu, Haruki; Fujisawa, Tomoo; Inui, Ayano; Sogo, Tsuyoshi; Morinishi, Youichi; Miyagawa, Yoshihiro; Inui, Michio

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 94 KB
• Volume: 59
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(199910)59:2<154::aid-jmv5>3.0.co;2-q

✦ Synopsis

The role of GB virus-C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/ HGV), a recently identified member of the Flaviviridae family, in children with liver disease is not well understood. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV and to clarify its pathogenic role in young patients with chronic hepatitis C. Sixty-four Japanese children and adolescents with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, with a mean age of 9.8 years, were evaluated retrospectively. Twenty-one (32.8%) of the 64 patients were positive for serum GBV-C/HGV RNA. Only 1 (1.6%) of the 64 patients was positive for antibody against the envelope protein E2 of GBV-C/HGV (anti-E2) and GBV-C/HGV. None of them was positive for anti-E2 alone. There was no significant difference in clinical, virological, or histological characteristics between GBV-C/HGV-positive and GBV-C/ HGV-negative patients, except for underlying malignant disease. There was no evidence that GBV-C/HGV might affect the response of HCV to interferon therapy in young patients with chronic hepatitis C. The prevalence of GBV-C/ HGV infection in young patients with chronic hepatitis C is similar to that in adult patients with chronic hepatitis C, but E2-seroconversion is observed infrequently. Underlying malignant disease is a risk factor for GBV-C/HGV viremia. GBV-C/HGV does not seem to affect the clinical course of young patients with chronic hepatitis C.