GB virus C/hepatitis G virus infection among Japanese patients with hematological diseases

To evaluate the association between GB virus C and hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) infection and hematological diseases for which frequent transfusion is required, 60 patients with such diseases were examined. GBV-C/HGV RNA and antibody to HGV envelope protein E2 (anti-E2) in serum were detected by a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and ELISA, respectively. These patients had been transfused with 189.2±396.5 (0–2206) units of blood from 54.0±109.4 (0–494) blood donors. Eight (13.3%) and seven (11.7%) of them were positive for GBV-C/HGV RNA and anti-E2, respectively. Only one patient was positive for both. Thus, 14 (23.3%) were positive for GBV-C/HGV RNA and/or anti-E2. There was no significant correlation between the positivities for GBV-C/HGV RNA and/or anti-E2 and any particular disease. The number of transfused units (P<0.05) and the number of donors (P<0.05) in the patients positive for GBV-C/HGV RNA and/or anti-E2 were significantly higher than those negative for both. There was no significant difference in received units of blood or the number of blood donor between the patients with and without anti-E2 in the patients infected by GBV-C/HGV. These data indicate that (1) GBV-C/HGV infection was not associated directly with the hematological diseases and (2) GBV-C/HGV infection in the patients with hematological diseases was likely to have been acquired through blood transfusion.