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Transmission of GB virus C by blood transfusions during heart surgery
M Shimizu1, K Osada, H Okamoto
1Department of Transfusion Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical College, Japan.
Background And Objectives:
Hepatitis-causing viral agents other than those designated A to E are being reported. Their epidemiology, modes of transmission, and infectivity are not yet clear, although they may be transmitted by transfusion.
Materials And Methods:
Thirty five patients underwent open-heart surgery, receiving an average of 10.2 +/- 10.8 (range 1 to 35) units of blood. The patients were investigated postoperatively for the RNA of the putative non-A-to-E hepatitis virus designated as GB virus C (GBV-C).
Results:
Four patients (12%) acquired GBV-C RNA in the serum within 2 to 4 weeks after the operation. GBV-C RNA was detected in at least one of the blood units received by three patients, all of whose units were available for testing, with a sequence in the nonstructural 3 region identical to that from the corresponding patient. Three patients developed elevated alanine aminotransferase levels which persisted for two weeks or longer in two of them.
Conclusions:
GBV-C is transmissible by transfusion and can induce elevated transaminase levels.