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GBV-C/HGV and HCV infection in mixed cryoglobulinaemia
M Crovatto1, C Mazzaro, S Mishiro
1Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, Pordenone General Hospital, Pordenone, Italy.
Insights
GBV-C/HGV infection is not a cause of mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC). This study found no significant difference in clinical or laboratory aspects between patients with single or co-infections.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Immunology
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is linked to mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC).
- GBV-C/HGV is a newly identified virus with similar transmission to HCV.
- Co-infection with HCV and GBV-C/HGV occurs in 10-25% of HCV patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- Determine GBV-C/HGV prevalence in MC patients.
- Investigate the impact of HCV and GBV-C/HGV co-infection on MC.
- Assess GBV-C/HGV prevalence in control groups.
Main Methods:
- Studied 52 MC patients and 100 HCV-positive chronic liver disease (CLD) patients.
- Included 150 blood donors and 80 non-A-E CLD patients for prevalence data.
- Analyzed clinical and laboratory parameters in relation to infection status.
Main Results:
- Only 9.6% of MC patients had co-infection with HCV and GBV-C/HGV.
- No significant clinical or laboratory differences were observed between singly and co-infected MC patients.
- HCV-positive CLD cases showed 27 instances of co-infection.
Conclusions:
- GBV-C/HGV infection does not appear to contribute to the pathogenesis of MC.
- The study provides prevalence data for GBV-C/HGV in various patient groups and blood donors.
Abstract:
Recently, a new, suspected hepatotropic virus has been identified. Named GBV-C/HGV, this virus shares with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) routes of transmission and molecular organization. Indeed, a proportion of HCV-infected patients (10-25%) are also carriers of GBV-C/HGV. Since mixed cryoglobulinaemia (MC) is closely associated with HCV infection, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV infection in MC patients, and to investigate whether the double infection influenced the clinical and/or laboratory aspects of the disease. 52 patients affected by MC were studied. 100 patients affected by HCV-positive chronic liver disease (CLD) without MC were used as control group. To determine the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV infection in general population, 150 blood donors were studied, as well as 80 patients affected by non-A-E CLD. Among the MC patients, only five (9.6%) were positive for both HCV and GBV-C/HGV infection. No difference was found between patients with and without double infection as regards main clinical and laboratory aspects. Among HCV-positive CLD cases, 27 were positive for double infection. Among blood donors, the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV infection was 8.0%, whereas in cases with cryptogenetic CLD the prevalence was 5.0%. In conclusion, these data show that GBV-C/HGV infection does not play any role in the pathogenesis of MC.