Hepatitis G virus infection markers (RNA and anti-E2 antibodies) in a multicenter cohort of hemophiliacs

• Published in: Haematologica (Roma) Vol. 84; no. 10; pp. 930 - 936
• Main Authors: Tassies, D, Magallon, M, Quintana, M, Fernandez-Urgelles, RP, Rodriguez-Pinto, C, Tusell, J, Altisent, C, Reverter, JC, Mazzara, R, Ordinas, A, Monteagudo, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Italy 01.10.1999
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; AIDS/HIV; Biomarkers; Cohort Studies; Female; Flaviviridae; Follow-Up Studies; Hemophilia A - blood; Hemophilia A - virology; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - genetics; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - immunology; HIV Antibodies - blood; HIV Infections - etiology; HIV Infections - virology; Humans; Lymphocyte Subsets - virology; Male; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; RNA, Viral - blood; Spain - epidemiology; Time Factors; Viral Envelope Proteins - immunology; Spain
• ISSN: 0390-6078; 1592-8721

Service of Hemotherapy and Hemostasis, Hospital Clinic Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain. dtassies@medicina.ub.es BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and evolution of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection in hemophiliacs and to correlate evolution of HGV infection markers with immunologic parameters in those patients co-infected with HIV. DESIGN AND METHODS: HGV RNA and anti-E2 antibodies were studied in 124 patients. Serial samples were drawn every 4 months from 1992 to 1996. Lymphocyte subsets including T-helper lymphocytes, T-suppressor lymphocytes, T-cytotoxic lymphocytes, activated T-lymphocytes and natural killer cells were analyzed. RESULTS: Prevalences were 22.6% for HGV RNA and 18.5% for anti-E2. Four patients had both HGV RNA and anti E2, so the overall prevalence of HGV infection in hemophiliacs was 37.9% (11.5% in 200 controls, p