GB virus C RNA in serum, liver, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with chronic hepatitis B, C, and D.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: No conclusive data about GB virus C (GBV-C) tropism are available. We have studied the presence of genomic and antigenomic GBV-C RNA in serum, liver, and peripheral blood cells of 56 patients with chronic hepatitis B, C, or D virus infection.

METHODS

Genomic and antigenomic GBV-C RNA were detected by reverse-transcription nested polymerase chain reaction. Specificity was confirmed by sequencing, by chemical modification of the RNA, and by using tagged primers.

RESULTS

Genomic GBV-C RNA was found in 10 of 56 (18%) of the sera. In contrast, antigenomic strand was not detected. The sequence of the amplified GBV-C RNA from 3 patients showed a 96% homology among them and from 83% to 88% with previously described isolates. Genomic GBV-C RNA was found in 7 of 7 liver samples of the patients with serum GBV-C RNA. In 6 of these 7 patients (85%), antigenomic strand was found. Genomic RNA was found in 7 of 7 of the peripheral blood cell samples of the same 7 patients. Antigenomic GBV-C RNA was not found in these cells.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that GBV-C is a hepatotropic virus that replicates in the human liver. The data do not support a role for GBV-C in chronic liver disease.