Prevalence of GBV-C RNA in HIV infected individuals in Tehran, Iran

GB virus C (GBV-C) is a flavivirus that was characterized in 1995. The prevalence of GBV-C RNA in HIV-infected subjects has not been previously studied in Iran and was therefore determined.

We have investigated serum samples of 80 patients from Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran, whose HIV infection was confirmed in our laboratory by Western-blotting. We used nested-PCR to detect GBV-C/HGV RNA in their sera.

GBV-C/HGV RNA was detected in 15 (18.8%) of 80 patients. There was no significant difference in GBV-C/HGV RNA prevalence between males and females, in different age groups and HIV viral loads groups.

The prevalence of GBV-C RNA was high in HIV-infected patients. There was no association between GBV-C RNA prevalence and specific gender, age, and HIV viral loads groups.