OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of hepatitis G virus (HGV) carriage in Queensland blood donors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey with retrospective longitudinal study of HGV-positive donors. SETTING: Brisbane Red Cross Blood Bank, 1995. SUBJECTS: 100 consecutive blood donors attending the Blood Bank on two days in October 1995 and 20 blood donors with a raised plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level on their last donation. OUTCOME MEASURES: Presence of HGV RNA by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in currently donated blood and in blood samples archived for up to 34 months. RT-PCR used two different reverse transcription methods and three different specific sets of primers and probes. RESULTS: Five of the 120 blood donors were positive for HGV RNA by all RT-PCR methods (four of the 100 with normal ALT levels [4%] and one of the 20 with raised ALT levels [5%]). Retrospective testing of archived samples showed that four of these five had been persistently HGV RNA-positive for at least two years, while the fifth had been HGV RNA-negative on two donations before becoming HGV RNA-positive. No risk factors were identified for this donor. CONCLUSIONS: A relatively large number of Queensland blood donors (4%) are persistently HGV RNA-positive.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of hepatitis G virus (HGV) carriage in Queensland blood donors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey with retrospective longitudinal study of HGV-positive donors. SETTING: Brisbane Red Cross Blood Bank, 1995. SUBJECTS: 100 consecutive blood donors attending the Blood Bank on two days in October 1995 and 20 blood donors with a raised plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level on their last donation. OUTCOME MEASURES: Presence of HGV RNA by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in currently donated blood and in blood samples archived for up to 34 months. RT-PCR used two different reverse transcription methods and three different specific sets of primers and probes. RESULTS: Five of the 120 blood donors were positive for HGV RNA by all RT-PCR methods (four of the 100 with normal ALT levels [4%] and one of the 20 with raised ALT levels [5%]). Retrospective testing of archived samples showed that four of these five had been persistently HGV RNA-positive for at least two years, while the fifth had been HGV RNA-negative on two donations before becoming HGV RNA-positive. No risk factors were identified for this donor. CONCLUSIONS: A relatively large number of Queensland blood donors (4%) are persistently HGV RNA-positive.
Authors: Ria R Ghai; Samuel D Sibley; Michael Lauck; Jorge M Dinis; Adam L Bailey; Colin A Chapman; Patrick Omeja; Thomas C Friedrich; David H O'Connor; Tony L Goldberg Journal: J Gen Virol Date: 2013-09-28 Impact factor: 3.891
Authors: Mónica V Alvarado-Mora; Livia Botelho; Anna Nishiya; Raymundo A Neto; Michele S Gomes-Gouvêa; Maria F Gutierrez; Flair J Carrilho; João Rr Pinho Journal: Virol J Date: 2011-07-11 Impact factor: 4.099