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Yu Y, Wan Z, Wang JH, Yang X, Zhang C. Review of human pegivirus: Prevalence, transmission, pathogenesis, and clinical implication. Virulence 2022; 13:324-341. [PMID: 35132924 PMCID: PMC8837232 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2029328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Human pegivirus (HPgV-1), previously known as GB virus C (GBV-C) or hepatitis G virus (HGV), is a single-stranded positive RNA virus belonging to the genus Pegivirus of the Flaviviridae family. It is transmitted by percutaneous injuries (PIs), contaminated blood and/or blood products, sexual contact, and vertical mother-to-child transmission. It is widely prevalent in general population, especially in high-risk groups. HPgV-1 viremia is typically cleared within the first 1–2 years of infection in most healthy individuals, but may persist for longer periods of time in immunocompromised individuals and/or those co-infected by other viruses. A large body of evidences indicate that HPgV-1 persistent infection has a beneficial clinical effect on many infectious diseases, such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and hepatitis C. The beneficial effects seem to be related to a significant reduction of immune activation, and/or the inhabitation of co-infected viruses (e.g. HIV-1). HPgV-1 has a broad cellular tropism for lymphoid and myeloid cells, and preferentially replicates in bone marrow and spleen without cytopathic effect, implying a therapeutic potential. The paper aims to summarize the natural history, prevalence and distribution characteristics, and pathogenesis of HPgV-1, and discuss its association with other human viral diseases, and potential use in therapy as a biovaccine or viral vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqi Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China.,Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenzhou Wan
- Medical Laboratory of Taizhou Fourth People's Hospital, Taizhou, China
| | - Jian-Hua Wang
- Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xianguang Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Chiyu Zhang
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Human pegivirus detected in a patient with severe encephalitis using a metagenomic pan-virus array. J Clin Virol 2016; 77:5-8. [PMID: 26872326 PMCID: PMC7106502 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2016.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Revised: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Metagenomic microarray for unbiased detection of virus in patient samples. Discovery of an occult viral infection, HPgV, in the spinal fluid of a patient with severe encephalitis. HPgV can on rare occasions enter the CSF at high viral load, but uncertain if its presence in the CNS has any clinical implications.
We have used a metagenomic microarray to detect genomic RNA from human pegivirus in serum and cerebrospinal fluid from a patient suffering from severe encephalitis. No other pathogen was detected. HPgV in cerebrospinal fluid during encephalitis has never been reported before and its prevalence in cerebrospinal fluid needs further investigation.
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Lanteri MC, Vahidnia F, Tan S, Stapleton JT, Norris PJ, Heitman J, Deng X, Keating SM, Brambilla D, Busch MP, Custer B. Downregulation of Cytokines and Chemokines by GB Virus C After Transmission Via Blood Transfusion in HIV-Positive Blood Recipients. J Infect Dis 2014; 211:1585-96. [PMID: 25425697 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiu660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An association between GB virus C (GBV-C) and improved outcomes of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been reported in HIV-positive individuals with active GBV-C coinfection. This study provides insights into the immune mechanisms underlying the protective role of GBV-C in HIV-infected patients. METHODS The concentrations of 64 cytokines and chemokines were measured in plasma samples obtained from the Viral Activation Transfusion Study cohort before transfusion and longitudinally from 30 patients positive for both HIV and GBV-C (hereafter, "cases") and 30 patients positive for HIV and negative for GBV-C (hereafter, "controls"). RESULTS Cases had lower HIV viral loads and higher CD4 T-cell counts than controls after acquisition of GBV-C infection. Most of the modulated cytokines and chemokines were reduced after GBV-C detection, including many proinflammatory cytokines, suggesting an overall antiinflammatory effect of GBV-C in HIV-positive subjects. Most pathways and functions of the measured cytokines were downregulated in cases, except cell death pathways, which were upregulated in various cell subsets in the 3 months after GBV-C detection. CONCLUSIONS GBV-C has a protective effect, in part through a competition mechanism leading to decreased inflammation and improved HIV disease outcome in cases. Further studies are necessary to establish whether GBV-C may have deleterious effects on the host at the cellular level, including depleting the cells that are the targets of HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jack T Stapleton
- Iowa City Veterans Affairs Hospital University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City
| | - Philip J Norris
- Blood Systems Research Institute Department of Laboratory Medicine Department of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, California
| | | | | | | | | | - Michael P Busch
- Blood Systems Research Institute Department of Laboratory Medicine
| | - Brian Custer
- Blood Systems Research Institute Department of Laboratory Medicine
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Zhang J, Chaloner K, McLinden JH, Stapleton JT. Bayesian analysis and classification of two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests without a gold standard. Stat Med 2013; 32:4102-17. [DOI: 10.1002/sim.5816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2011] [Accepted: 03/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - James H. McLinden
- Department of Internal Medicine; University of Iowa; Iowa City; IA; U.S.A
| | - Jack T. Stapleton
- Department of Internal Medicine; University of Iowa; Iowa City; IA; U.S.A
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Schwarze-Zander C, Blackard JT, Rockstroh JK. Role of GB virus C in modulating HIV disease. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2012; 10:563-72. [PMID: 22702320 DOI: 10.1586/eri.12.37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
GB virus C (GBV-C) is a member of the Flaviviridae family and the most closely related human virus to HCV. However, GBV-C does not replicate in hepatocytes, but rather in lymphocytes. GBV-C has a worldwide distribution and is transmitted sexually, parenterally and through mother-to-child transmission. Thus, co-infection with HCV and HIV is common. Until now, no human disease has been associated with GBV-C infection. However, there are several reports of a beneficial effect of GBV-C on HIV disease progression in vivo. Different mechanisms to explain these observations have been proposed, including modification of antiviral cytokine production, HIV co-receptor expression, direct inhibition of HIV-1 entry, T-cell activation and Fas-mediated apoptosis. Further understanding of these mechanisms may open new strategies for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.
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Vahidnia F, Petersen M, Stapleton JT, Rutherford GW, Busch M, Custer B. Acquisition of GB virus type C and lower mortality in patients with advanced HIV disease. Clin Infect Dis 2012; 55:1012-9. [PMID: 22752515 DOI: 10.1093/cid/cis589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND GB virus type C (GBV-C) is transmitted by sexual or parenteral exposure and is prevalent among patients receiving blood products. GBV-C is associated with lower human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA and better survival among HIV-infected patients. Open questions are the presence and the direction of any causal relationship between GBV-C infection and HIV disease markers in the context of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). METHODS We used a limited access database obtained from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Viral Activation Transfusion Study (VATS), a randomized controlled trial of leukoreduced vs nonleukoreduced transfusions to HIV-infected transfusion-naive patients. Blood samples from 489 subjects were tested for GBV-C markers. Cox regression models and inverse probability of treatment weights were used to examine the association between GBV-C coinfection and mortality in the VATS cohort. RESULTS We found a significant reduction in mortality among GBV-C coinfected VATS subjects, after adjusting for HAART status, HIV RNA level, and CD4 cell count at baseline. Acquisition of GBV-C RNA (n = 39) was associated with lower mortality in 294 subjects who were GBV-C negative at baseline, adjusting for baseline covariates (hazard ratio = 0.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: .08-.58) and in models in which weights were used to control for time-updated covariates (odds ratio = 0.21, 95% CI: .08-.60). CONCLUSIONS GBV-C viremia is associated with lower mortality, and GBV-C acquisition via transfusion is associated with a significant reduction in mortality in HIV-infected individuals, controlling for HIV disease markers. These findings provide the first evidence that incident GBV-C infection alters mortality in HIV-infected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Vahidnia
- Blood Systems Research Institute, Epidemiology, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.
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Vahidnia F, Petersen M, Rutherford G, Busch M, Assmann S, Stapleton JT, Custer B. Transmission of GB virus type C via transfusion in a cohort of HIV-infected patients. J Infect Dis 2012; 205:1436-42. [PMID: 22438325 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jis209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND GB virus C (GBV-C) infection is transmitted by blood exposure and associated with lower human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) load and slower HIV disease progression. Few studies describe predictors of acute GBV-C infection following transfusion in HIV-infected patients. METHODS We used a limited-access database from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's Viral Activation Transfusion Study, a randomized controlled trial of leukoreduced versus nonleukoreduced transfusions received by HIV-infected, transfusion-naive patients. Blood samples from 489 subjects were tested for GBV-C markers in pretransfusion and posttransfusion samples. We estimated the risk of acquiring GBV-C RNA and predictors of GBV-C acquisition, using pooled logistic regression. RESULTS GBV-C RNA was detected ≤120 days following the first transfusion in 22 (7.5%) of 294 subjects who were GBV-C negative before transfusion. The risk of GBV-C RNA acquisition increased with each unit transfused (odds ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.11). Lower baseline HIV load and use of antiretroviral therapy were associated with subsequent GBV-C RNA acquisition, after control for units of blood transfused. Leukoreduced status of transfused units was not associated with GBV-C transmission. CONCLUSIONS Blood transfusion is associated with a significant risk of GBV-C acquisition among HIV-infected patients. Transmission of GBV-C by blood transfusion was inversely related to HIV load.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Vahidnia
- Department of Epidemiology, Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Abstract
GB virus C (GBV-C) is a nonpathogenic member of the Flaviviridae family most closely related to hepatitis C virus (HCV). Infection is common in healthy and immunocompromised people and may persist for years. GBV-C infection is associated with improved survival, improved AIDS-free survival, higher CD4(+) T-cell counts, and lower HIV viral loads in HIV-infected people compared with people infected with HIV but not GBV-C. The mechanism of this effect is not yet clear, but GBV-C has been shown to inhibit HIV replication in vitro through increased synthesis and secretion of anti-HIV b-chemokines MIP-1a, MIP-1b, RANTES, SDF-1, and SDF-2 and downregulation of CCR5 receptor expression. GBV-C also inhibits apoptosis of its host cell, similar to HCV. GBV-C E2 protein in serum has also been associated with prolonged survival in HIV infection; recent evidence indicates that GBV-C E2 protein may neutralize HIV infection in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L George
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, FDT-8N, 3635 Vista Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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Kupfer B, Ruf T, Matz B, Nattermann J, Spengler U, Rockstroh JK, Brackmann HH, Blümel J, Tacke M, Kaiser R. Comparison of GB virus C, HIV, and HCV infection markers in hemophiliacs exposed to non-inactivated or inactivated factor concentrates. J Clin Virol 2005; 34:42-7. [PMID: 16087123 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2005.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2004] [Revised: 01/20/2005] [Accepted: 01/31/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Until the mandatory introduction of viral inactivation techniques of blood plasma products in the early 1980s many recipients of these products were infected with various viral pathogens. OBJECTIVES To determine the rate of transmission of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) HCV, and HIV through non-virus-inactivated clotting factor concentrates in hemophiliacs, as well as the relation between amount of administered clotting factor and risk for GBV-C/HGV infection. STUDY DESIGN In this cross-sectional study, we determined retrospectively the rates of infection markers for GBV-C/HGV, HCV, and HIV in a German cohort of hemophiliacs treated with documented amounts of non-virus-inactivated clotting factor concentrates (group A) and in a second group of hemophiliacs who were treated exclusively with virus-inactivated clotting factor (group B). The presence of anti-virus antibodies was determined by ELISA. Viral RNA was detected by RT-PCR. Markers for viral infections were compared to amounts of administered non-virus-inactivated clotting factor. RESULTS Among hemophiliacs treated with documented amounts of non-virus-inactivated clotting factor the prevalence for GBV-C/HGV, HCV, and HIV was 40.3%, 98.6%, and 56.3%, respectively. In contrast to HIV, the rate of GBV-C/HGV infections did not increase with increasing amounts of consumed non-inactivated clotting factor. Even in the subgroup of heavily treated hemophiliacs the rate of GBV-C/HGV infection markers did not exceed 45%. CONCLUSIONS The amount of non-virus-inactivated clotting factor is not predictive for the risk of GBV-C/HGV infection in hemophiliacs. Despite repeated parenteral exposure more than 55% of hemophiliacs were not infected with GBV-C/HGV. Our findings indicate a high frequency of host factors preventing parenteral transmission of GBV-C/HGV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Kupfer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Bonn, Sigmund Freud Str. 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
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Björkman P, Flamholc L, Nauclér A, Molnegren V, Wallmark E, Widell A. GB virus C during the natural course of HIV-1 infection: viremia at diagnosis does not predict mortality. AIDS 2004; 18:877-86. [PMID: 15060435 DOI: 10.1097/00002030-200404090-00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate whether GBV-C viremia at diagnosis of HIV-1 infection predicts disease outcome in patients not receiving combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), and whether longitudinal changes in GBV-C viremia are associated with disease progression. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. METHODS 230 patients with a serum sample available for testing obtained within 2 years of HIV-1 diagnosis were followed until either initiation of ART, death, or their last visit to our clinic (median follow-up 4.3 years). Baseline and follow-up serum samples (available from 163 patients) were tested for GBV-C RNA and antibodies against GBV-C envelope E2 protein (anti-E2; signifying resolved GBV-C viremia). RESULTS At inclusion, 62 patients (27%) had GBV-C viremia and 69 (30%) had anti-E2. Baseline GBV-C status was not associated with all-cause mortality (P = 0.12), HIV-related mortality (P = 0.18), or development of AIDS (P = 0.84). However, GBV-C RNA was less prevalent in patients with AIDS at inclusion (P = 0.008). Eleven of 44 patients with baseline GBV-C viremia lost GBV-C RNA during follow-up without showing anti-E2 seroconversion. In comparison with anti-E2-negative patients with either persistent absence, persistent presence, or acquisition of GBV-C viremia, these subjects had significantly increased all-cause mortality (P = 0.018), HIV-related mortality (P = 0.007), and AIDS incidence (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS GBV-C status at diagnosis did not predict disease outcome in this HIV cohort. GBV-C viremia was rare in patients with AIDS, and tended to disappear without occurrence of anti-E2 in patients with progressive disease. This suggests that the GBV-C status of HIV-1-infected patients could be a phenomenon secondary to HIV progression, rather than an independent prognostic factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per Björkman
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Department of Medical Microbiology, Malmö University Hospital, Lund University, S-205 02 Malmö, Sweden
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George SL, Wünschmann S, McCoy J, Xiang J, Stapleton JT. Interactions Between GB Virus Type C and HIV. Curr Infect Dis Rep 2002; 4:550-558. [PMID: 12433333 DOI: 10.1007/s11908-002-0044-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
GB virus C (GBV-C, also known as hepatitis G virus) commonly causes human infection. Genetically, it is closely related to hepatitis C virus, but GBV-C appears to grow primarily in lymphocytes, not hepatocytes. Although it causes persistent infection in about 25% to 50% of infected individuals, numerous studies have failed to connect GBV-C with any disease process. GBV-C is transmitted sexually, parenterally, and vertically, and due to these shared modes of transmission, coinfection is common among HIV-infected individuals. Of 10 studies done of HIV-GBV-C coinfection, eight found a beneficial effect of GBV-C viremia on HIV-related mortality or response to therapy. The mechanism by which GBV-C may improve survival of HIV-positive people is not known; however, in vitro studies suggest that GBV-C inhibits HIV replication, and preliminary data also point toward alterations in cytokine and/or chemokine expression by GBV-C-infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. George
- Internal Medicine, SW34-P,GH, 200 Hawkins Drive, UIHC, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
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Loureiro CL, Alonso R, Pacheco BA, Uzcátegui MG, Villegas L, León G, De Saéz A, Liprandi F, López JL, Pujol FH. High prevalence of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus genotype 3 among autochthonous Venezuelan populations. J Med Virol 2002; 68:357-62. [PMID: 12226822 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.10211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
GB virus C or hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) is highly prevalent among population groups at risk of parenterally transmitted viral agents, but it has also a worldwide distribution in other non-risk population groups. GBV-C/HGV RNA and antibodies against its envelope protein (anti-E2 Abs) were found in 3/86 (3%) and 7/89 (8%) of biomedical science personnel (BSP), in 31/453 (7%) and 37/200 (19%) of blood donors (BD), and in 6/64 (9%) and 26/59 (44%) of hemodialysis patients (HD) from Caracas, Venezuela. A significant gradient of GBV-C/HGV exposure (anti-E2 Abs and/or GBV-C/HGV RNA) was found between BSP (lowest prevalence), BD, and HD (P < 0.001). GBV-C/HGV RNA and anti-E2 Abs were also found in 2/69 (2.9%) and 2/44 (4.5%) of individuals from a rural community, in 9/162 (5.5%) and 2/40 (5%) of West Amerindians, and in 14/56 (25%) and 4/53 (7.5%) of South Amerindians. Socioeconomic and cultural factors may have contributed to the relatively high risk of exposure to GBV-C/HGV in BD and Amerindians. Whereas GBV-C/HGV genotypes 1 (n = 1), 2 (n = 6), and 3 (n = 22) were present in Venezuela, only the Asiatic genotype 3 was found infecting Amerindians and rural populations (n = 16). Genotype assignment based on the 5' noncoding region of the GBV- C/HGV genome was corroborated in some isolates by genetic analysis of the E2 region. This report confirms the circulation of the Asiatic genotype of GBV-C/HGV among Amerindians, suggesting an old origin of GBV-C/HGV. This might be associated with the apparently low pathogenesis of this virus.
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MESH Headings
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Female
- Flaviviridae Infections/epidemiology
- Flaviviridae Infections/transmission
- Flaviviridae Infections/virology
- GB virus C/genetics
- Genotype
- Hepatitis Antibodies/blood
- Hepatitis, Viral, Human/epidemiology
- Hepatitis, Viral, Human/transmission
- Hepatitis, Viral, Human/virology
- Humans
- Indians, South American
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Phylogeny
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Prevalence
- RNA, Viral/blood
- Rural Population
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Urban Population
- Venezuela/epidemiology
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen L Loureiro
- Laboratorio de Biología de Virus, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas, Venezuela
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Bourlet T, Berthelot P, Grattard F, Genin C, Lucht FR, Pozzetto B. Detection of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus in semen and saliva of HIV type-1 infected men. Clin Microbiol Infect 2002; 8:352-7. [PMID: 12084103 DOI: 10.1046/j.1469-0691.2002.00425.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the presence of the genome of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) in semen and saliva from HIV-1-infected men. METHODS Samples of blood from 33 men seropositive for HIV-1 were tested for the presence of GBV-C/HGV markers of infection, RNA by RT-PCR, and anti-E2 antibodies by ELISA, respectively. The cell-free fractions of seminal fluid and saliva samples of the patients with positive blood samples for GBV-C/HGV RNA or anti-E2 antibodies were then analyzed for the presence of the RNA of this virus. In addition, six semen samples and 11 saliva samples from GBV-C/HGV-negative men were tested. RESULTS The GBV-C/HGV RNA tested by RT-PCR was recovered from blood in 11 patients of 33 (33.3%), and the antibodies to E2 envelope protein were detected in six patients (18.2%). Since no patient was positive for both markers, the overall prevalence of GBV-C/HGV infection was 51.5% in the studied population. Four-all belonging to the homosexual risk group-of the 17 men with markers to GBV-C/HGV in blood were found to be positive for GBV-C/HGV RNA in mucosal samples: two of them exhibited genomic RNA in both semen and saliva, and two others were positive for semen only. The absence of inhibitors of the PCR technique was confirmed in all mucosal fractions found negative for GBV-C/HGV RNA, except for one saliva sample and one seminal fluid sample. CONCLUSION These results confirm the high prevalence of GBV-C/HGV infection in patients infected with HIV-1 by sexual exposure and the presence of GBV-C/HGV RNA in seminal fluid and saliva of men with markers of this virus in the blood, suggesting that mucosal fluids could be a potential source for the spread of the GBV-C/HGV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Bourlet
- Groupe Immunité des Muqueuses et Agents Pathogènes', Faculty of Medicine Jacques Lisfranc, University of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France.
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Frey SE, Homan SM, Sokol-Anderson M, Cayco MT, Cortorreal P, Musial CE, Di Bisceglie A. Evidence for probable sexual transmission of the hepatitis g virus. Clin Infect Dis 2002; 34:1033-8. [PMID: 11914990 DOI: 10.1086/339206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2001] [Revised: 10/31/2001] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
A cross-sectional epidemiology study evaluated the role of sexual activity and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the transmission of hepatitis G virus (HGV/GBV-C) and other hepatitis virus infections in 944 subjects. There was a statistically significant higher prevalence of HGV/GBV-C, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus exposure in the STD clinic group (i.e., subjects who were currently seeking treatment for an STD) compared with the group who never had received treatment for an STD. In a comparison of the subjects with an STD versus those without an STD, the prevalence of HGV/GBV-C was 11.3% versus 4.9%, on the basis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results alone, and 36.6% versus 8.8%, when results of PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were combined. Sexual activity and, possibly, the presence of an STD increases the risk of HGB/GBV-C transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon E Frey
- Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
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Björkman P, Nauclér A, Winqvist N, Mushahwar I, Widell A. A case-control study of transmission routes for GB virus C/hepatitis G virus in Swedish blood donors lacking markers for hepatitis C virus infection. Vox Sang 2001; 81:148-53. [PMID: 11703856 DOI: 10.1046/j.1423-0410.2001.00098.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The transmission routes for GB virus-C (GBV-C)/hepatitis G virus (HGV) in blood donors unexposed to hepatitis C virus (HCV) are unknown. We performed a case-control study of risk factors for GBV-C/HGV exposure in blood donors. MATERIALS AND METHODS After testing stored sera from 458 HCV-negative blood donors for GBV-C/HGV RNA and GBV-C/HGV E2 antibodies, 66 donors with GBV-C/HGV markers and 125 age- and gender-matched controls were interviewed regarding risk factors for viral transmission. RESULTS Exposure to GBV-C/HGV was strongly associated with previous treatment for a sexually transmitted disease (odds ratio [OR] 4.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2-9.8), with multiple sexual partners (OR 2.9; 95% CI 1.4-5.7) and with a past history of endoscopy (OR 7.0; 95% CI 3.0-16.4). CONCLUSIONS In blood donors with GBV-C/HGV markers, sexual contacts and medical procedures appear to be the main transmission routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Björkman
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Malmö University Hospital, Lund University, S-205 02 Malmö, Sweden
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Abstract
GB Virus C and Hepatitis G Virus (GBV-C/HGV) are positive, single-stranded flaviviruses. GBV-C and HGV are independent isolates of the same virus. Transmission via the blood-borne route is the commonest mode, although vertical and sexual transmission is well documented. GBV-C/HGV is distributed globally; its prevalence in the general population is 10 fold higher in African countries than in non-African countries. High prevalences of GBV-C/HGV have been found in subjects with frequent parenteral exposure and in groups at high risk of exposure to blood and blood products. The clinical significance of human infection with GBV-C/HGV is currently unclear. The virus can establish both acute and chronic infection and appears to be sensitive to interferon. Only some 12-15% of chronic Non-A, B, C hepatitis cases are infected with GBV-C/HGV. A direct association with liver pathology is still lacking and it is not yet clear as to whether GBV-C/HGV is indeed a hepatotropic virus. Current evidence suggests that the spectrum of association of GBV-C/HGV infection with extrahepatic diseases ranges from haematalogical diseases, aplastic anaemia, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive idiopathic thrombocytopenia and thalassemia, through to common variable immune deficiency and cryoglobunemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sathar
- Department of Medicine, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of Natal/King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban, South Africa
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