Premium
Novel hepatitis agents: The significance of clinical and experimental studies. An overview
Author(s) -
KRAWCZYNSKI K
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1746.1997.tb00501.x
Subject(s) - medicine , gb virus c , flaviviridae , hepatitis c virus , virology , virus , hepatitis , viral hepatitis , etiology , hepatitis c , immunology , liver disease , hepacivirus , viral disease
A new virus with genomic organization similar to that of the family Flaviviridae was identified in patients with viral hepatitis and designated hepatitis G virus (HGV) or hepatitis GB virus C (GBV‐C). HGV/GBV‐C can be transmitted by blood and results in persistent infection, as shown in patients with posttransfusion non‐A, non‐B hepatitis, in transfusion recipients, and in donors of blood received by HGV‐positive patients. The parenteral route of transmission of HGV/GBV‐C infection was confirmed in experimentally infected chimpanzees. Epidemiologic studies of sporadic, community‐acquired viral hepatitis have not indicated an association between HGV/GBV‐C and acute non A‐E hepatitis. Thus, the disease association of this new virus remains unconfirmed and its role in the etiology of acute and chronic hepatitis is unclear. The experimental model of HGV/GBV‐C infection may define the biology of the virus replication.