Prevalence of hepatitis G virus genome in blood donors

• Published in: Beiträge zur Infusionstherapie und Transfusionsmedizin = Contributions to infusion therapy and transfusion medicine Vol. 34; p. 11
• Main Authors: Seifried, E, Bialleck, H, Weber, H, Kirchmaier, C M, Waschk, E, Marx, S, Tschauder, S, Roth, W K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Switzerland 1997
• Subjects: Blood Banks - statistics & numerical data; Blood Donors - statistics & numerical data; Blood Transfusion - statistics & numerical data; Cross-Sectional Studies; Flaviviridae - genetics; Germany - epidemiology; Hemophilia A - epidemiology; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - epidemiology; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - transmission; Humans; Incidence; Risk; RNA, Viral - blood; Germany
• ISSN: 1023-2028

The relevance of the GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) in blood banking results from its high prevalence in blood donors and the fact that it is present at a very high percentage (18%) in polytransfused and hemophiliac patients. Since there is no assay available for serological testing, we developed a sensitive PCR utilizing newly designed NS3 primers to investigate the prevalence in blood donors in Hessia. Testing 1,143 accepted blood donors with alaninaminotransferase (ALT) concentrations < 45 U/l we found 15 (1.3%) positive for GBV-C/HGV RNA. From 507 donors settling in urban Frankfurt areas, 10 (2.0%) were positive. Of those donors settling in rural hessian areas only 5/635 (0.8%) tested positive. By testing 100 excluded donors with ALT values > 45 U/l, 3% turned out to be positive. In 4 out of 9 recipients of GBV-C/HGV-positive blood products we detected the donor viral RNA as proved by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The virus was transmitted to 3 recipients by erythrocytes and to 1 recipient by platelets. Testing family members of the GBV-C/HGV-positive blood donors we could not detect any intrafamilial transmission.