A case-control study on GB virus C/hepatitis G virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract

A new hepatitis-associated RNA virus of the Flaviviridae products, intravenous drug use, hemodialysis, and maybe sexual contacts and from mothers to infants. 4-11 HGV RNA family has been identified and named GB virus C/ hepatitis G virus (HGV). We carried out a case-control study to evaluate has been found in patients with acute or chronic hepatic diseases and in subjects without liver diseases by use of RTthe association of HGV infection with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We recruited 170 patients hospitalized for HCC PCR. 1,2 A test was developed recently to detect the presence of antibodies against HGV envelope 2 protein in human sera, (143 male and 27 female, mean age 64 years) and 306 patients hospitalized for nonliver diseases (controls) in Brescia, Italy. the HGV E2 antigen (anti-E2). 12-14 Anti-E2 has been associated with loss of detectable HGV viremia, and therefore it is HGV RNA was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and antibodies against HGV E2 pro-considered a marker for recovery from infection. Data on its seroprevalence suggest that the number of people infected tein (anti-E2) by an immunoassay test. HGV RNA was found in 8 cases (4.7%) and 4 controls (1.3%). The relative risk by the virus is higher than was estimated on the basis of HGV RNA seroprevalence. (RR) for HGV RNA positivity adjusted for demographic variables and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis CIn spite of the large number of studies carried out on HGV so far, it is still unknown whether the virus can determine virus (HCV) RNA, and alcohol was 7.3 (95% confidence interval, 1.7-30.6; P Å .009). No HGV RNA-positive subject was liver disease in humans. 15 In fact, most information on HGV prevalence comes from case series, in which selection bias also positive for anti-E2. Anti-E2 prevalence did not differ significantly between cases (20%) and controls (15.3%), and cannot be excluded, thus making comparisons difficult. The case-control study design has been suggested to investigate no RR increase was found by this marker. Among subjects with HGV exposure (HGV RNA plus anti-E2 positive), a whether HGV is associated with liver disease. 5 To assess the association of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with HGV greater proportion of cases (40%) than controls (14%) had transfusion history. The possible role of HGV in HCC etiology infection, we carried out a hospital-based case-control study in the province of Brescia, an area in northern Italy with one seems modest because the population-attributable risk is lower (4%) than those for HBsAg (22%), HCV RNA (36%), of the highest incidence rates of HCC in Europe. 16 and heavy alcohol intake (52%). This study supports the hy- PATIENTS AND METHODS pothesis of an association between HGV infection and HCC,This study is part of a large case-control study carried out to although at present there are insufficient data on the causality A new hepatitis-associated RNA virus of the Flaviviridae (HCV) and its genotypes, and alcohol drinking have been reported family...

Prevalence and genetic variants of hepatitis GB-C/HG and TT viruses in Gabon, equatorial Africa.

“…Thus, our results are not consistent with an association between viral infection and HCC. 16,17,45 We were able to analyze for a large proportion of the study population the presence of both the TTV and GBV-C/ HGV genomes. We found that simultaneous infection by GBV-C/HGV and TTV was rare in the Gabonese population.…”

A case-control study on a novel DNA virus (TT virus) infection and hepatocellular carcinoma

“…12,13 In our case-control study, we evaluated the presence of TTV DNA in serum at first diagnosis of the disease (cases) or at recruitment (controls). However, the duration of TTV-DNA persistence in patients with chronic liver disease is still an unresolved question.…”

“…The design of the study and some results regarding the role of HBV, HCV and its genotypes, alcohol drinking, and GB virus/hepatitis G virus (HGV infection) have been reported in detail in previous articles. 12,13 Briefly, 174 subjects admitted to the 2 main hospitals in the province of Brescia with first diagnosis of HCC between January 1995 and July 1996 were enrolled as cases. As controls, we examined 118 subjects not affected with liver diseases or neoplasms and admitted to the departments of Ophthalmology, Dermatology, Urology, Cardiology, and Internal Medicine in the same hospitals to which the cases were admitted.…”

“…Serological markers of current or past infection by HBV, HCV, and HGV were investigated as described previously. 12,13 For detection of TTV DNA, nucleic acids were obtained from 100 µL of serum by treatment with proteinase K and sodium dodecyl sulfate, followed by extraction with phenol and chloroform as described by Nishizawa et al 1 Nucleic acids were dissolved in 20 µL of Tris-HCl buffer (10 mmol/L, pH 8.0) supplemented with 1 mmol/L ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, heated at 95°C for 15 minutes, and cooled immediately on ice.…”

Detection of HGV RNA in Digestive Organs

“…Therefore, it is unlikely that the liver is the main proliferation site of HGV. Clinicopathological studies [8,[13][14][15] have reported an absence of hepatopathogenicity in patients infected with HGV. The reports cited above suggest that HGV is not a hepatitis virus and the organ site where HGV replicates remains unclear.…”