GBV-C/HGV: a new human hepatitis-related virus

Two novel potentially hepatotropic flavi-like viruses were recently identified in patients with acute or chronic hepatitis and were provisionally called GBV-C and hepatitis G virus (HGV). The sequence identity analysis of these two viruses clearly indicated that GBV-C and HGV are two isolates of the same virus. In addition, the phylogenic analysis of the aligned viral polyprotein sequences showed that the GBV-C and HGV isolates are closely related to two Flaviviruses (GBV-A and GBV-B) that cause hepatitis in tamarins, and are distantly related to hepatitis C virus (HCV). Taken together, these results demonstrate that GBV-C/HGV belongs to the Flaviviridae family. GBV-C/HGV genomic RNA is detectable in both acute and chronic non-A, nonE hepatitis as well as in a minor proportion of patients with fulminant hepatic failure, hepatocellular carcinoma and in blood donors with or without abnormal alanine aminotransferase. However, the majority of patients with prospectively followed HGV infections have no evidence of liver damage. The high frequency of GBV-C/HGV infections in patients who are coinfected with HBV and/or HCV suggests that these viruses can share a common mode of transmission.