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Pathogenicity of GBV‐C/HGV infection
Author(s) -
Müller C.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of viral hepatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1365-2893
pISSN - 1352-0504
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2893.1999.00009.x
Subject(s) - gb virus c , virology , disease , medicine , hepatitis , virus , pathogenicity , liver disease , immunology , flaviviridae , hepatitis c virus , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
Extensive studies of GBV‐C/HGV in acute and chronic hepatitis non‐A–non‐E have failed to provide hard evidence for a major role in this disease. Persistent GBV‐C/HGV viraemia is in most cases associated with normal ALT levels, and only in a minority of patients are mild elevations of aminotransferases found. Its disease‐inducing capacity is questionable and the findings accumulated so far are best explained by looking at GBV‐C/HGV as a well‐adapted, predominantly parenterally transmitted, persistent virus; it might be transmitted concomitantly with another, still unidentified hepatitis non‐A–non‐E virus. This does not exclude the possibility that GBV‐C/HGV might, in some rare cases and under certain circumstances, induce a hepatitis‐like illness as seen with other viruses such as EBV or CMV. GBV‐C/HGV definitely plays a minor role only, if any, in post‐transfusion and community‐acquired hepatitis non‐A–non‐E.