Hepatitis G virus (HGV) and liver diseases

Recently, a new flavi-like virus, provisionally named hepatitis GBV-C or hepatitis G virus (HGV), has been described and was initially thought to be the major etiological agent of non-A-E hepatitis. HGV does not induce an immune response that is consistently detectable by using recombinant proteins from prokaryotic expression and hence prevalence studies have been conducted by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based system. HGV-RNA has been detected in many human populations. This article reviews what has been investigated about HGV from normal blood donors, patients with liver disease, patients at risk of acquiring the infection to possible perinatal and sexual transmission of the virus. Based on the conclusions that can be drawn from these studies conducted so far, the association between HGV infection and liver disease is still not certain. It is possible that HGV might play a role in other diseases not involving the liver, but at the present time HGV can be considered as an orphan flavivirus still looking for a human disease.