HEV, TTV and GBV-C/HGV markers in patients with acute viral hepatitis

• Published in: Brazilian journal of medical and biological research Vol. 38; no. 5; pp. 767 - 775
• Main Authors: Lyra, A C, Pinho, J R R, Silva, L K, Sousa, L, Saraceni, C P, Braga, E L, Pereira, J E, Zarife, M A S, Reis, M G, Lyra, L G C, Silva, L C da, Carrilho, F J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica 01-05-2005
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Acute hepatitis; BIOLOGY; Biomarkers; Brazil; Brazil - epidemiology; Case-Control Studies; Female; GB virus C - genetics; GB virus C - immunology; GBV-C/HGV; Genotype; Hepatitis Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis E; Hepatitis E virus; Hepatitis E virus - genetics; Hepatitis E virus - immunology; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - diagnosis; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - epidemiology; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - virology; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin M - blood; Male; MEDICINE, RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTAL; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prevalence; Sentinel Surveillance; Severity of Illness Index; Torque teno virus - genetics; Torque teno virus - immunology; TTV; Brazil; Brazil; GBV-C/HGV; Genotype; Hepatitis E; Acute hepatitis; TTV
• DOI: 10.1590/S0100-879X2005000500015
• EISSN: 0100-879X; 1414-431X

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of HEV, TTV and GBV-C/GBV-C/HGV in patients with acute viral hepatitis A, B and non-A-C. We evaluated sera of 94 patients from a sentinel program who had acute hepatitis A (N = 40), B (N = 42) and non-A-C (N = 12); 71 blood donors served as controls. IgM and anti-HEV IgG antibodies were detected by enzyme immunoassay using commercial kits. TTV and GBV-C/HGV were detected by nested PCR; genotyping was done by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Anti-HEV IgG was present in 38, 10 and 17% of patients with hepatitis A, B and non-A-C. Four patients with hepatitis A and 1 with non-A-C hepatitis also had anti-HEV IgM detected in serum. TTV was detected in 21% of patients with acute hepatitis and in 31% of donors. GBV-C/HGV was detected in 9% of patients with hepatitis, and in 10% of donors. We found TTV isolates of genotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4 and GBV-C/HGV isolates of genotypes 1 and 2. Mean aminotransferase levels were lower in patients who were TTV or GBV-C/HGV positive. In conclusion, the detection of anti-HEV IgM in some acute hepatitis A cases suggests co-infection with HEV and hepatitis E could be the etiology of a few cases of sporadic non-A-C hepatitis in Salvador, Brazil. TTV genotype 1, 2, 3 and 4 isolates and GBV-C/HGV genotype 1 and 2 strains are frequent in the studied population. TTV and GBV-C/HGV infection does not appear to have a role in the etiology of acute hepatitis.