			Home About us Contact

Hepatitis G Virus (hepatitis + g_virus)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Influence of RNA titre and amino acid changes in the NS5A region of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus on the effectiveness of interferon therapy

JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 6 2000
Tomoki Fujisawa
Abstract Background: A relationship between the pretreatment RNA titre of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) and the effectiveness of interferon (IFN) therapy has been reported previously. However, the influence of changes in the amino acid sequence of the NS5A region of GBV-C/HGV on the effectiveness of IFN therapy has not been examined, although this influence has been explored in patients with chronic hepatitis caused by hepatitis C virus. We examined the relationship between changes in the amino-acid sequence of the NS5A region and the effectiveness of IFN therapy. Methods: The subjects were 10 patients with chronic hepatitis C coinfected with GBV-C/HGV and treated with IFN. The pretreatment level of GBV-C/HGV-RNA (copies/mL) in their sera was measured by real-time detection polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. At 6 months after cessation of therapy, four of 10 patients had become negative for GBV-C/HGV-RNA (CR, complete response) and six patients were still positive for GBV-C/HGV-RNA (NR, non-response). We determined the nucleotide sequence of the NS5A region (amino acid residues 1865,2279; NS5A1865,2279) of pretreatment GBV-C/HGV-RNA by direct sequencing. Results: The pretreatment GBV-C/HGV-RNA level of CR patients (7.8 × 104,6.2 × 105, mean 3.30 × 105) was significantly lower than that of NR patients (6.3 × 107,7.2 × 108, mean 3.55 × 108; P < 0.01). The number of amino acid substitutions in NS5A1865,2279 was five to seven (mean 5.8 ± 1.0) in CR patients, and four to eight (mean 6.8 ± 1.6) in NR patients, a difference that is not significant. Moreover, there were no amino acid substitutions or sites of substitution in NS5A1865,2279 that were specific to either group. Conclusions: The effectiveness of IFN therapy for GBV-C/HGV is strongly related to the pretreatment GBV-C/HGV-RNA level, but is not related to changes in NS5A1865,2279. [source]

Hepatitis G virus in clotting factor concentrates

HAEMOPHILIA, Issue 1 2003
E. Alonso-Rubiano
Summary. Blood-borne hepatitis is a well-known complication in patients with bleeding disorders. A recently discovered parentally transmitted virus, hepatitis G [GB virus C (GBV-C)] has an increased prevalence in patients with haemophilia. Clotting factor concentrates derived from pools of human plasma currently undergo viral inactivation techniques known to be effective against hepatitis B, C and HIV; however, the effectiveness of current purification and viral inactivation techniques against newly discovered viruses such as GBV-C is unknown. A total of 37 vials of clotting factor concentrates manufactured in the USA from 1981 to 1995 were tested for the presence of GBV-C virus. All samples that did not undergo a specific viral inactivation step were positive for GBV-C. Viral inactivation techniques that did not uniformly remove GBV-C included vapour heat treatment and dry heat treatments for less than 144 h. All samples treated by pasteurization, solvent detergent or dry heat for 144 h, were negative for the presence of GBV-C. [source]

Chronic viral hepatitis in hemodialysis patients

HEMODIALYSIS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2005
Sydney Tang
Abstract Ever since the first outbreaks of hepatitis in hemodialysis units in the late 1960s, a number of hepatotropic viruses transmitted by blood and other body fluids have been identified. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding these blood-borne agents from an epidemiologic and preventive perspective. Data source and study selection were obtained from research and review articles related to the epidemiology of viral hepatitis in hemodialysis and indexed on Medline and Embase from 1965 to 2004. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) was the first significant hepatotropic virus to be identified in hemodialysis centers. HBV infection has been effectively controlled by active vaccination, screening of blood donors, the use of erythropoietin, and segregation of HBV carriers. To date, HBV remains an important cause of morbidity in endemic areas. Hepatitis delta virus is a defective virus that can only infect HBV-positive individuals. Hepatitis C virus is the most significant cause of non-A, non-B hepatitis and is mainly transmitted by blood transfusion. The introduction in 1990 of routine screening of blood donors for HCV contributed significantly to the control of HCV transmission. An effective HCV vaccine remains an unsolved challenge, however. Pegylation of interferon-, has made it possible to treat HCV-positive dialysis patients. Unexplained sporadic outbreaks of hepatitis by the mid-1990s prompted the discovery of hepatitis G virus and hepatitis GB virus C in 1995 and the TT virus in 1997. Although epidemiologic analyses revealed high prevalence rates of both viruses in the hemodialysis population, their exact role in liver disease has yet to be determined. The vigilant observation of guidelines on universal precaution and regular virologic testing are the cornerstones of the effective control of chronic hepatitis in the setting of hemodialysis. [source]

Identification of hepatitis G virus (GB virus C) in the liver using in situ polymerase chain reaction

LIVER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 5 2000
Article first published online: 24 DEC 200
No abstract is available for this article. [source]

Hepatitis infection in haemodialysis patients

NEPHROLOGY, Issue 3 2002
Chiu-Ching HUANG
SUMMARY: Known hepatitis infections among haemodialysis patients include hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis G and TT virus. Haemodialysis patients with hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C infection may progress to develop significant morbidity, such as cirrhosis, hepatitic failure or hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis B infection may be treated with ,-interferon or lamivudine. Hepatitis C infection may be treated with ,-interferon, but frequent severe adverse effects were observed, while ribavirin is contraindicated for patients with renal failure. Treatment for hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C are costly, and the risk of post-transplant reactivation of hepatitis has been reported. Prevention of nosocomial transmission of hepatitis infection with strict infection control and universal precautions is more important. Accumulating evidence suggests that both hepatitis G virus and TT virus (TTV) are not significant causes of liver disease. Routine screening for hepatitis G or TTV viraemia in haemodialysis patients is not indicated at present. [source]