GB virus C/hepatitis G virus in serum and liver of patients with chronic C and non B non C hepatitis: molecular and immunological aspects

GB virus C/hepatitis G Virus (HGV) is a single-stranded RNA virus that is transmitted parenteraly. This study investigates GB virus C in 62 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and non B non C hepatitis (CNBNC). The viral E2 protein was examined in the sera of the patients (using western blott assay) while viral replication in the liver was examined by detecting the negative strand of HGV-RNA and its E2 protein in liver tissue using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining respectively. E2 protein was detected in 28% of patients with chronic hepatitis C and in 13.3% of patients with non B non C chronic hepatitis, while not detected in healthy blood donors (0%). HGV- E2 protein and the negative strand of HGV -RNA were detected in hepatocytes of only 3 out of the 13 examined liver biopsies from HGV infected patients (23%). The mean level of ALT in chronic HCV hepatitis patients who were +ve for HGV was significantly lower than those who were -ve for HGV. There was a significant difference between the mean value of HCV -RNA level by real time PCR in sera of hepatitis C positive patients with + ve HGV-E2 when compared with HCV patients with - ve HGV-E2 (p < 0.001). It is concluded that HGV co-infection may occur in some cases with CHC and CNBNC. Sites of replication, other than liver, are suggested as the virus was detected in liver tissue of only 23 % of cases inspite of its presence in their sera.