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Antibodies against the GB virus C envelope 2 protein before liver transplantation protect against GB virus C de novo infection
Author(s) -
Tillmann Hans Ludger,
Heringlake Stefan,
Trautwein Christian,
Meissner Doerte,
Nashan Bjoern,
Schlitt HansJuergen,
Kratochvil Jon,
Hunt Jeffrey,
Qiu Xiaoxing,
Lou Sheng Chang,
Pichlmayr Rudolf,
Manns Michael Peter
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.510280213
Subject(s) - antibody , medicine , liver transplantation , gb virus c , virus , flaviviridae , hepatitis c virus , virology , transplantation , immunology
GB virus C (GBV‐C) is a newly discovered RNA virus related to the Flaviviridae family. Although GBV‐C is not yet associated with any cause of liver disease, a humoral immune response against the GBV‐C envelope 2 (E2) protein has been observed. Therefore, we studied the prevalence and clinical relevance of GBV‐C RNA and anti‐E2 antibodies in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). In addition, we tested whether the prevalence of anti‐E2 antibodies may protect against GBV‐C infection. Of the 182 liver recipients included in this study, 117 of these were evaluated for GBV‐C recurrence or de novo infection. GBV‐C RNA was detected in sera or plasma using single‐tube, reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and anti‐E2 antibody was detected by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Cumulative patient and graft survival was tested by using Kaplan‐Meier analysis. The independence of prognostic values was assessed by using Cox regression analysis. Before OLT, GBV‐C RNA and anti‐E2 were detected in 4.0% to 28.6% and 10.0% to 68.8%, respectively, of patients suffering from different forms of chronic liver diseases. GBV‐C reinfection after OLT was determined in 85.7%. Of the patients without evidence of exposure to GBV‐C before OLT, 30 of 65 (46.2%) became GBV‐C RNA positive after OLT. None of the 38 patients who were anti‐E2 antibody positive before OLT became GBV‐C RNA positive after OLT. Neither patient nor graft survival was significantly affected by the presence of either GBV‐C RNA or anti‐E2 antibody before OLT. Our data indicate that 1) GBV‐C RNA positive patients have a high risk of reinfection after OLT, and 2) the presence of anti‐E2 antibodies before OLT is associated with an absence of GBV‐C infection after OLT, which may indicate a protective role of anti‐E2 antibodies.