Prevalence of hepatitis G virus RNA and antibodies to HGV envelope protein (anti-E2) in patients with liver injury in Japan]

To assess the role of hepatitis G virus (HGV) in acute and chronic liver diseases, we investigated the prevalence of HGV RNA and antibodies to HGV envelope protein (anti-E2) among patients with liver diseases diagnosed in our hospital from 1992 to 1997. Among 24 patients with acute hepatitis (HAV: 13, HBV: 2, HCV: 3, CMV: 1, non A-C: 5), only 1 patient with non A-C hepatitis (4%) were positive for HGV RNA and none was positive for anti-E2. Among 461 patients with chronic liver diseases (alcohol: 27, HBV: 74, HCV: 297, HBV + HCV: 10, non B non C: 14, autoimmune and metabolic: 39), 40 patients (alcohol: 1, HBV: 3, HCV: 33, HBV + HCV: 3) were positive for HGV RNA(9%) and 48 patients were positive for anti-E2(17%). In the patients with positive for anti-E2, only 8% were positive for HGV RNA. 98% of HGV RNA positive patients were infected with HBV or HCV, and especially 82% were infected with HCV. In patients with non A-C hepatitis, none was positive for HGV RNA, so HGV seems not to have important role in liver diseases.