Comparison of six sets of PCR primers from two different genomic regions for amplification of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus RNA.

Forty-four clinical samples positive for GB virus C (GBV-C)/hepatitis G virus (HGV) were tested with six primer sets, four from the 5' untranslated region (5'-UTR) and two from the NS5a genomic region. Two of the 5'-UTR primer sets, when used in a single-round 60-cycle PCR, detected between 86.4 and 97.7% of the positive samples, while two different sets from the same area, when used in a nested PCR, amplified between 97.7 and 100% of the positive specimens. Both sets from the NS5a region, when used in a single-round PCR, detected 95.5% of the GBV-C/HGV-positive samples. Parallel testing with two PCR sets, one from the 5'-UTR and a second from NS5a, may eliminate false-negative results attributable to the genetic heterogeneity of the virus.