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Low prevalence of hepatitis G virus antibodies in glomerular diseases
K Cengiz1, M Günaydiotan, A Bedir
1Department of Nephrology, Ondokuzmayiotas University, Samsun, Turkey.
Insights
Hepatitis G virus (HGV) RNA was rarely detected in patients with primary glomerulonephritis. This study found a low prevalence of HGV infection among individuals with kidney disease, suggesting it is not a common cause.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Nephrology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Hepatitis G virus (HGV), a flavivirus, shares similarities with Hepatitis C virus (HCV).
- HCV infection is linked to primary glomerulonephritis, raising questions about HGV's role in kidney diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of serum HGV RNA in adult patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven glomerular diseases.
- To assess if HGV infection is associated with primary glomerulonephritis.
Main Methods:
- Serum samples were collected from 98 adult patients with biopsy-proven glomerular diseases.
- HGV RNA detection was performed using molecular assays.
- A control group of 59 healthy individuals was included for comparison.
Main Results:
- Only 3 out of 98 patients (3%) with primary glomerulonephritis tested positive for serum HGV RNA.
- The prevalence of HGV RNA in healthy controls was 1.7% (1 out of 59), which was not statistically different from the patient group (p > 0.05).
- The overall prevalence of serum HGV RNA was low in the studied population with glomerular diseases.
Conclusions:
- Hepatitis G virus RNA is infrequently found in patients suffering from primary glomerulonephritis.
- The study suggests that HGV is unlikely to be a significant causative agent for primary glomerulonephritis in the studied cohort.
Abstract:
A possible agent for human non-A-E hepatitis has been identified and named hepatitis G virus (HGV). HGV is also a flavivirus, and the clinical characteristics and risk factors of HGV infection may be similar to those of hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatitis C virus infection may manifest as a primary glomerulonephritis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of serum HGV RNA in 98 adult patients with biopsy-proven glomerular diseases. We found that only 3 patients (3%) out of 98 with primary glomerulonephritis had HGV RNA. One of 59 (1.7%) healthy controls was serum HGV RNA positive (p > 0.05). The prevalence of serum HGV RNA was low in the patients with primary glomerulonephritis.