Hepatitis G virus / GB virus C in Brazil. Preliminary report

Pinho, J.R.R.; Capacci, M.L.; Silva, L.C. da; Carrilho, F.J.; Santos, C.A.; Pugliese, V; Guz, B; Levi, J.E.; Ballarati, C.A.F.; Bernardini, A.P.

doi:10.1590/S0036-46651996000300016

Abstracts

Hepatitis G virus/ GB virus C is a novel flavivirus recently detected in hepatitis non A-E cases. In this study, the presence of this virus in chronic non-B, non-C hepatitis patients was evaluated using GBV-C specific PCR and this virus was detected in one out of thirteen patients. This patient has presented a severe liver failure, has lived for a long time in the Western Amazon basin and no other cause for this clinical picture was reported. The impact of the discovery of this new agent is still under evaluation throughout the world. The study of the prevalence of this virus among chronic hepatitis patients and healthy individuals (as blood donors) will furnish subside to evaluate its real pathogenicity.

Hepatitis G; GB virus; Hepatitis non A - E; HGV

O vírus da Hepatite G ou vírus GB-C é um novo vírus recentemente descoberto em casos de hepatites não A-E. Neste estudo, casos de hepatite crônica não-B, não-C foram testados com uma reação de amplificação específica para GBV-C. Este vírus foi detectado em 1 entre os 13 casos estudados. Este paciente apresentava insuficiência hepática severa, tinha habitado por vários anos na Amazônia Ocidental e nenhuma outra causa para este quadro clínico havia sido relatada. O impacto da descoberta deste novo agente está ainda sendo investigado. O estudo da prevalência deste vírus entre pacientes com hepatite crônica e entre indivíduos sadios (como, por exemplo, doadores de sangue) fornecerá subsídios para o estabelecimento de sua real patogenicidade.

PRELIMINARY REPORT

Hepatitis G virus / GB virus C in Brazil. Preliminary report

Vírus da Hepatite G / Vírus GB-C no Brasil

J.R.R. Pinho^I,II; M.L. Capacci^III; L.C. da Silva^III,IV; F.J. Carrilho^III; C.A. Santos^II; V. Pugliese^III; B. Guz^V; J.E. Levi^II,IV; C.A.F. Ballarati^II; A.P. Bernardini^II,III

^IServiço de Virologia do Instituto Adolfo Lutz. São Paulo, SP, Brasil

^IILaboratório Bioquímico Jardim Paulista. São Paulo, SP, Brasil

^IIIDepartamento de Gastroenterologia da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. São Paulo, SP, Brasil

^IVInstituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo. São Paulo, SP, Brasil

^VHospital do Servidor Público Estadual de São Paulo. São Paulo, SP, Brasil

^{Correspondence to} Correspondence to: João Renato Rebello Pinho Instituto Adolfo Lutz Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 355 01246-902, São Paulo, SP, Brasil

SUMMARY

Hepatitis G virus/ GB virus C is a novel flavivirus recently detected in hepatitis non A-E cases. In this study, the presence of this virus in chronic non-B, non-C hepatitis patients was evaluated using GBV-C specific PCR and this virus was detected in one out of thirteen patients. This patient has presented a severe liver failure, has lived for a long time in the Western Amazon basin and no other cause for this clinical picture was reported. The impact of the discovery of this new agent is still under evaluation throughout the world. The study of the prevalence of this virus among chronic hepatitis patients and healthy individuals (as blood donors) will furnish subside to evaluate its real pathogenicity.

Keywords: Hepatitis G; GB virus; Hepatitis non A - E; HGV

RESUMO

O vírus da Hepatite G ou vírus GB-C é um novo vírus recentemente descoberto em casos de hepatites não A-E. Neste estudo, casos de hepatite crônica não-B, não-C foram testados com uma reação de amplificação específica para GBV-C. Este vírus foi detectado em 1 entre os 13 casos estudados. Este paciente apresentava insuficiência hepática severa, tinha habitado por vários anos na Amazônia Ocidental e nenhuma outra causa para este quadro clínico havia sido relatada. O impacto da descoberta deste novo agente está ainda sendo investigado. O estudo da prevalência deste vírus entre pacientes com hepatite crônica e entre indivíduos sadios (como, por exemplo, doadores de sangue) fornecerá subsídios para o estabelecimento de sua real patogenicidade.

Full text available only in PDF format.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to acknowledge to Dr. Venâncio Avancini Ferreira Alves for his critical review of this paper.

Recebido para publicação em 07/05/1996.

Aceito para publicação em 06/08/1996.

1. AIKAWA, T.; SUGAI, Y. & OKAMOTO, H. - Hepatitis G infection in drug abusers with chronic hepatitis C. New Engl. J. Med.,334: 195-196, 1996.
2. ALMEIDA, J.D.; DEINHARDT, F.; HOLMES, A.W. et al. - Morphology of the GB hepatitis agent. Nature (Lond.), 261: 608-609, 1976.
3. ALTER, H.J. & BRADLEY, D.W. - Non-A, non-B hepatitis unrelated to the Hepatitis C virus (Non-ABC). Sem. Liver Dis., 15: 110-120, 1995.
4. BRADLEY, D.W.; MAYNARD, J.E.; POPPER, H. et al. - Post-transfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis: physico-chemical properties of two distinct agents. J. infect. Dis., 148: 254-265, 1983.
5. CHOMCZINSKI, P. & SACCHI, N. - Single-step method of RNA isolation by acid guanidinium thyocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction. Anal. Biochem., 162: 156-159, 1987.
6. CHOO, Q.L.; KUO, G.; WEINER, A.J. et al. - Isolation of a cDNA clone derived from a blood-borne non-A, non-B viral hepatitis genome. Science, 244: 359-362, 1989.
7. DEINHARDT, F.; HOLMES, A.W.; CAPPS, R.B. et al. - Studies on the transmission of human viral hepatitis to marmoset monkeys. 1. Transmission of disease, serial passages and description of liver lesions. J. e xp. Med., 125: 673-678, 1967.
8. DIENSTAG, J.L.; WAGNER, J.A.; PURCELL, R.H. et al. - Virus-like particles and GB agent hepatitis. Nature (Lond.), 264: 260-261, 1976.
9. GALBRAITH, R.M.; DIENSTAG, J.L.; PURCELL, R.H. et al. - Non-A, non-B hepatitis associated with chronic liver disease in a haemodyalisis unit. Lancet, 3.: 951-953, 1979.
10. GARSON, J.A.; RING, C.J.A. & TUKE, P.W. - Improvement of HCV genome detection with "short" PCR products. Lancet, 338: 1466-1467, 1991.
11. HOLLINGER, F.B.; MOSLEY, J.W.; SZMUNESS, W. et al. - Transfusion-transmitted viruses study: experimental evidence for two non-A, non-B hepatitis agents. J. infect. Dis., 142: 400-407, 1980.
12. HRUBY, M.A. & SCHAUFF, V. - Transfusion-related short-incubation hepatitis in hemophilic patients. J. Amer. med. Ass., 240: 1355-1357, 1978.
13. KANEKO, S.; FEINSTONE, S.M. & MILLER, R.H. - Rapid and sensitive method for the detection of serum hepatitis B virus DNA using the polymerase chain reaction technique. J. clin. Microbiol., 27: 1930-1933, 1989.
14. KUO, G.; CHOO, Q.L.; ALTER, H.J. et al. - An assay for circulating antibodies to a major etiologic virus of human non-A, non-B hepatitis. Science, 244: 362-363, 1989.
15. LINNEN, J.; WAGES, J.; ZHANG-ZECK, Z.Y. et al. - Molecular cloning and disease association of hepatitis G virus: a transfusion - transmissible agent. Science, 271: 505-508, 1996.
16. LISITSYN, N.; LISITSYN, N. & WIGLER, M. - Cloning the differences between two complex genomes. Science, 259: 946- 951, 1993.
17. MOSLEY, J.W.; REDEKER, A.D.; FEINSTONE, S.M. et al. - Multiple hepatitis viruses in multiple attacks of acute viral hepatitis. New Engl. J. Med., 296: 75-78, 1977.
18. MYER, T.J.; ZUBIRI, C.L.; KLATSKY, A.U. et al. - Recurrent acute hepatitis following the use of factor VIII concentrates. Blood, 55: 748-751, 1980.
19. NORKRANS, G.; FROSNER, G.; HERMODSSON, S. et al. - Multiple hepatitis attacks in drug addicts. J. Amer. med. Ass., 243: 1056-1058, 1980.
20. REYES, G.R.; PURDY, M.A.; KIM, J.P. et al. - Isolation of a cDNA from the virus responsible for enterically transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis. Science, 247: 1335-1339, 1990.
21. SIMONS, J.N.; PILOT-MATIAS, T.J.; LEARY, T.P. et al. - Identification of two flavivirus-like genomes in the GB hepatitis agent. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.), 92: 3401-3405, 1995.
22. SIMONS, J.N.; LEARY, T.P.; DAWSON, G. et al. - Isolation of novel viruslike sequences associated with human hepatitis. Nat. Med., 1: 564-569, 1995.
23. TABOR, E.; APRIL, M. & SEEFF, L.B. - Acquired immunity to human non-A, non-B hepatitis agents. J. infect. Dis., 142: 400-407, 1980.
24. YOSHIBA, M.; OKAMOTO, H. & MISHIRO, S. - Detection of the GBV-C hepatitis virus genome in serum from patients with fulminant hepatitis of unknown aetiology. Lancet, 346: 1131-1132, 1995.
25. YOSHIZAWA, H.; ITOH, Y.; IWAKIRI, S. et al. - Demonstration of two different types of non-A, non-B hepatitis by reinjection and cross-challenge studies in chimpanzees. Gastroenterology, 81: 107-113, 1981.

Correspondence to:

João Renato Rebello Pinho

Instituto Adolfo Lutz

Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 355

01246-902, São Paulo, SP, Brasil

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
22 Sept 2006
Date of issue
June 1996

History

Accepted
06 Aug 1996
Received
07 May 1996

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] 1. AIKAWA, T.; SUGAI, Y. & OKAMOTO, H. - Hepatitis G infection in drug abusers with chronic hepatitis C. New Engl. J. Med.,334: 195-196, 1996.

[2] 2. ALMEIDA, J.D.; DEINHARDT, F.; HOLMES, A.W. et al. - Morphology of the GB hepatitis agent. Nature (Lond.), 261: 608-609, 1976.

[3] 3. ALTER, H.J. & BRADLEY, D.W. - Non-A, non-B hepatitis unrelated to the Hepatitis C virus (Non-ABC). Sem. Liver Dis., 15: 110-120, 1995.

[4] 4. BRADLEY, D.W.; MAYNARD, J.E.; POPPER, H. et al. - Post-transfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis: physico-chemical properties of two distinct agents. J. infect. Dis., 148: 254-265, 1983.

[5] 5. CHOMCZINSKI, P. & SACCHI, N. - Single-step method of RNA isolation by acid guanidinium thyocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction. Anal. Biochem., 162: 156-159, 1987.

[6] 6. CHOO, Q.L.; KUO, G.; WEINER, A.J. et al. - Isolation of a cDNA clone derived from a blood-borne non-A, non-B viral hepatitis genome. Science, 244: 359-362, 1989.

[7] 7. DEINHARDT, F.; HOLMES, A.W.; CAPPS, R.B. et al. - Studies on the transmission of human viral hepatitis to marmoset monkeys. 1. Transmission of disease, serial passages and description of liver lesions. J. e xp. Med., 125: 673-678, 1967.

[8] 8. DIENSTAG, J.L.; WAGNER, J.A.; PURCELL, R.H. et al. - Virus-like particles and GB agent hepatitis. Nature (Lond.), 264: 260-261, 1976.

[9] 9. GALBRAITH, R.M.; DIENSTAG, J.L.; PURCELL, R.H. et al. - Non-A, non-B hepatitis associated with chronic liver disease in a haemodyalisis unit. Lancet, 3.: 951-953, 1979.

[10] 10. GARSON, J.A.; RING, C.J.A. & TUKE, P.W. - Improvement of HCV genome detection with "short" PCR products. Lancet, 338: 1466-1467, 1991.

[11] 11. HOLLINGER, F.B.; MOSLEY, J.W.; SZMUNESS, W. et al. - Transfusion-transmitted viruses study: experimental evidence for two non-A, non-B hepatitis agents. J. infect. Dis., 142: 400-407, 1980.

[12] 12. HRUBY, M.A. & SCHAUFF, V. - Transfusion-related short-incubation hepatitis in hemophilic patients. J. Amer. med. Ass., 240: 1355-1357, 1978.

[13] 13. KANEKO, S.; FEINSTONE, S.M. & MILLER, R.H. - Rapid and sensitive method for the detection of serum hepatitis B virus DNA using the polymerase chain reaction technique. J. clin. Microbiol., 27: 1930-1933, 1989.

[14] 14. KUO, G.; CHOO, Q.L.; ALTER, H.J. et al. - An assay for circulating antibodies to a major etiologic virus of human non-A, non-B hepatitis. Science, 244: 362-363, 1989.

[15] 15. LINNEN, J.; WAGES, J.; ZHANG-ZECK, Z.Y. et al. - Molecular cloning and disease association of hepatitis G virus: a transfusion - transmissible agent. Science, 271: 505-508, 1996.

[16] 16. LISITSYN, N.; LISITSYN, N. & WIGLER, M. - Cloning the differences between two complex genomes. Science, 259: 946- 951, 1993.

[17] 17. MOSLEY, J.W.; REDEKER, A.D.; FEINSTONE, S.M. et al. - Multiple hepatitis viruses in multiple attacks of acute viral hepatitis. New Engl. J. Med., 296: 75-78, 1977.

[18] 18. MYER, T.J.; ZUBIRI, C.L.; KLATSKY, A.U. et al. - Recurrent acute hepatitis following the use of factor VIII concentrates. Blood, 55: 748-751, 1980.

[19] 19. NORKRANS, G.; FROSNER, G.; HERMODSSON, S. et al. - Multiple hepatitis attacks in drug addicts. J. Amer. med. Ass., 243: 1056-1058, 1980.

[20] 20. REYES, G.R.; PURDY, M.A.; KIM, J.P. et al. - Isolation of a cDNA from the virus responsible for enterically transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis. Science, 247: 1335-1339, 1990.

[21] 21. SIMONS, J.N.; PILOT-MATIAS, T.J.; LEARY, T.P. et al. - Identification of two flavivirus-like genomes in the GB hepatitis agent. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.), 92: 3401-3405, 1995.

[22] 22. SIMONS, J.N.; LEARY, T.P.; DAWSON, G. et al. - Isolation of novel viruslike sequences associated with human hepatitis. Nat. Med., 1: 564-569, 1995.

[23] 23. TABOR, E.; APRIL, M. & SEEFF, L.B. - Acquired immunity to human non-A, non-B hepatitis agents. J. infect. Dis., 142: 400-407, 1980.

[24] 24. YOSHIBA, M.; OKAMOTO, H. & MISHIRO, S. - Detection of the GBV-C hepatitis virus genome in serum from patients with fulminant hepatitis of unknown aetiology. Lancet, 346: 1131-1132, 1995.

[25] 25. YOSHIZAWA, H.; ITOH, Y.; IWAKIRI, S. et al. - Demonstration of two different types of non-A, non-B hepatitis by reinjection and cross-challenge studies in chimpanzees. Gastroenterology, 81: 107-113, 1981.