Hyland C A, Mison L, Solomon N, Cockerill J, Wang L, Hunt J, Selvey L A, Faoagali J, Cooksley W G, Young I F, Trowbridge R, Borthwick I, Gowans E J
Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Queensland, Brisbane.
Transfusion. 1998 Sep;38(9):821-7. doi: 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1998.38998409001.x.
The epidemiology and disease association for the GB virus type C (GBV-C) or hepatitis G virus (HGV) are poorly understood.
This study describes the exposure rates to GBV-C/HGV in diverse Australian population groups by testing for current infection and evidence of past infection with a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and an anti-E2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Subjects included volunteer blood donors, hepatitis C antibody (anti-HCV)-positive donors, children, hemodialysis patients, pregnant women attending a prenatal clinic, injecting drug users (IVDUs), and adult hemophiliacs.
Combined GBV-C RNA and E2 antibody prevalence was 6.5 percent (6/93) in children, 13.3 percent (75/565) in blood donors, 14 percent (14/99) in pregnant women, 22.5 percent (18/80) in hemodialysis patients, 80 percent (56/70) in anti-HCV-positive donors, 88.6 percent (31/35) in IVDUs, and 85.7 percent (54/63) in adult hemophiliacs. Children had the lowest antibody rate, 1.1 percent, whereas the rate was 10.8 percent for blood donors and rose to 45.7 percent for IVDUs, 57.1 percent for anti-HCV-positive donors, and 74.6 percent for hemophiliacs. In contrast, current infection rates were comparable for children, blood donors, and pregnant women (5.4, 2.6, and 6%, respectively), rising to 11.1 percent for hemophiliacs, 24.3 percent for anti-HCV-positive donors, and 48.6 percent for IVDUs. Ten of 12 blood donors had persistent viremia, while 2 had recent infections, 1 with apparent resolution.
Exposure to GBV-C can commence at an early age, although ongoing exposure may also occur among adults with no apparent risk factors. GBV-C RNA positivity was not associated with abnormal plasma alanine aminotransferase levels among blood donors.
丙型GB病毒（GBV-C）或庚型肝炎病毒（HGV）的流行病学及疾病关联仍了解甚少。
本研究通过分别采用逆转录聚合酶链反应检测当前感染情况以及抗E2酶联免疫吸附测定检测既往感染证据，来描述不同澳大利亚人群中GBV-C/HGV的暴露率。研究对象包括志愿献血者、丙型肝炎抗体（抗-HCV）阳性献血者、儿童、血液透析患者、产前诊所的孕妇、注射吸毒者（IVDU）以及成年血友病患者。
儿童中GBV-C RNA与E2抗体的合并患病率为6.5%（6/93），献血者中为13.3%（75/565），孕妇中为14%（14/99），血液透析患者中为22.5%（18/80），抗-HCV阳性献血者中为80%（56/70），IVDU中为88.6%（31/35），成年血友病患者中为85.7%（54/63）。儿童的抗体率最低，为1.1%，而献血者的抗体率为10.8%，IVDU的抗体率升至45.7%，抗-HCV阳性献血者的抗体率为57.1%，血友病患者的抗体率为74.6%。相比之下，儿童、献血者和孕妇的当前感染率相当（分别为5.4%、2.6%和6%），血友病患者的感染率升至11.1%，抗-HCV阳性献血者的感染率为24.3%，IVDU的感染率为48.6%。12名献血者中有10人存在持续性病毒血症，2人近期感染，其中1人感染明显消退。
GBV-C暴露可在早年开始，尽管在无明显危险因素的成年人中也可能持续存在暴露情况。献血者中GBV-C RNA阳性与血浆丙氨酸氨基转移酶水平异常无关。
