Hepatitis G virus infection in patients with bleeding disorders
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Updated: Jul 24, 2026

Measurement of the Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient and Transjugular Liver Biopsy
Published on: June 18, 2020
J T Wilde1, M M Ahmed, K E Collingham
1West Midlands Adult Haemophilia Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust, Edgbaston.
Insights
Hepatitis G virus (HGV) coinfection did not worsen liver disease severity in patients with bleeding disorders who also had hepatitis C virus (HCV). This study found no significant differences in liver disease markers between HGV/HCV coinfected and HCV-monoinfected individuals.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Hematology
Background:
- Patients with bleeding disorders are at risk for bloodborne viral infections.
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is prevalent in this population.
- The impact of hepatitis G virus (HGV) coinfection on liver disease severity in HCV-infected individuals with bleeding disorders requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection in patients with bleeding disorders.
- To assess the impact of HGV coinfection on the severity of liver disease in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
Main Methods:
- Screening of 82 patients with bleeding disorders for HGV RNA.
- Assessment of HCV infection status through antibodies and PCR.
- Liver biopsy and HCV viral load quantitation in a subset of patients.
- Comparison of histological activity index (HAI) and HCV viral titre between HGV RNA-positive and negative patients.
Main Results:
- HGV RNA was detected in 13% of patients.
- No significant difference in HAI scores between HGV RNA-positive and negative patients (P=0.07).
- No significant difference in HCV viral titre between coinfected and HCV-monoinfected patients (P=0.68).
Conclusions:
- HGV coinfection does not appear to exacerbate liver disease in HCV-infected patients with bleeding disorders.
- The prevalence of HGV in this cohort is consistent with previous studies.
- Further research may be needed to fully elucidate the clinical significance of HGV in specific patient populations.
Abstract:
Eighty-two patients with bleeding, disorders registered with our centre were screened for infection with hepatitis G virus (HGV). 80 patients were positive for hepatitis C (HCV) antibodies, 66 of whom (83%) were HCV PCR positive. 11 patients (13%) were HGV RNA-positive, a similar prevalence rate to that of other studies of patients with bleeding disorders who received factor concentrates prior to the introduction of viral inactivation procedures. There was no significant difference in histological activity index (HAI) between the 10 HGV RNA-positive and the 31 HGV RNA-negative patients who underwent liver biopsy for assessment of HCV infection (median HAI scores 5.5, range 2-10 and four, range 0-10 respectively, P = 0.07). One patient in each group had established cirrhosis. In patients who underwent HCV quantitation there was no significant difference in HCV viral titre between HGV RNA-positive and negative patients (median HCV titre in HGV RNA-positive patients 2.10 x 10(5) DNA copies/ml (n = 8) range 4.17 x 10(2) to 4.17 x 10(6), median HCV titre in HGV RNA-negative patients 3.33 x 10(5) (n = 31) range 1.00 x 10(3) to 6.67 x 10(6), P = 0.68). In this study there was no evidence that individuals co-infected with HGV and HCV have more severe liver disease than those infected with HCV alone.
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