The risk of polytransfused patients for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is likely to extend to another recently identified member of the Flaviviridae, hepatitis C virus (HGV). We investigated the prevalence of HGV in 40 adult Italian patients with transfusion-dependent thalassaemia and evaluated the clinical significance of HGV infection. HGV-RNA was detected in 9/40 patients (22.5%). HGV infection was significantly associated with HCV viraemia (P = 0.0012), with all patients positive for HGV being also viraemic for HCV. Overall, the clinical picture of patients with HCV/HGV co- infection was not different from that of patients with isolated HCV. However, patients co-infected with both viruses had lower values of alanine- transferase (P = 0.035) and a lower titre of HCV viraemia (P = 0.042) in the absence of other evident factors which could influence the clinical expression of HCV infection. In conclusion, HGV is highly prevalent among Italian polytransfused patients. No evidence of a clinically significant pathogenic role for HGV in liver disease could be found in these patients. In a subset of cases of possible interference of HGV with HCV infection was observed.
Prevalence and clinical significance of hepatitis G virus infection in adult beta-thalassaemia major patients / M. Sampietro, N. Corbetta, M. Cerino, P. Fabiani, A. Ticozzi, A. Orlandi, G. Lunghi, S. Fargion, G. Fiorelli, M.D. Cappellini. - In: BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY. - ISSN 0007-1048. - 97:4(1997 Jun), pp. 904-907.
Titolo: | Prevalence and clinical significance of hepatitis G virus infection in adult beta-thalassaemia major patients |
Autori: | SAMPIETRO, MAURIZIO (Primo) FIORELLI, GEMINO (Penultimo) CAPPELLINI, MARIA DOMENICA (Ultimo) |
Parole Chiave: | Flaviviridae ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Blood Transfusion ; Female ; Hepatitis, Viral, Human ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; beta-Thalassemia |
Settore Scientifico Disciplinare: | Settore MED/09 - Medicina Interna |
Data di pubblicazione: | giu-1997 |
Rivista: | |
Tipologia: | Article (author) |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2141.1997.1402955.x |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 01 - Articolo su periodico |
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