Hepatitis G virus infection in children on dialysis and after renal transplantation

Abstract.

The aim of the present study was to use a combination of the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and a new diagnostic test for antibodies against the viral envelope protein E2 to assess the prevalence of hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) infection in sera of Hungarian children on hemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), as well as in sera of renal transplant patients (RTx). The GBV-C/HGV RNA prevalence was significantly higher in the whole group of children with renal failure (18.5%) than in the control group (children with urinary tract infection, 2.5%). The difference between the GBV-C/HGV RNA prevalence in the RTx group (33.3%) and in the control group (2.5%) was significant (P = 0.007). Anti-E2, which is considered an indicator of a past GBV-C/HGV infection, was detected in 10% (1/10) of HD patients, in 33.3% (4/12) of RTx patients, but in none of the children on CAPD. These differences were not significant. Children receiving a renal graft are at an increased risk of developing GBV-C/HGV infection, which may be attributed to the immunosuppressive drugs necessary to maintain the grafts.