Abstract

LOPEZ CALVO, S et al. GB virus C: lack of association with  aminotransferase levels, CD4 and HIV viral load in aids patients. An. Med. Interna (Madrid) [online]. 2003, vol.20, n.4, pp.17-20. ISSN 0212-7199.

Objective: To study the prevalence of GBV-C-RNA in sera of HIV-infected patients and determine whether differences in immunological condition and hepatic disease exist between GBV-C positive and negative patients.  Methods: The presence of GBV-C -RNA was determined in sera of 222 HIV-positive patients by semi-automated RT-PCR. A comparison of GBV-C-RNA positive and negative patients was made by studying a series of clinical and analytical parameters. This same comparison was made in particular between those coinfected with HCV and GBV-C and those who only presented GBV-C.  Results: Prevalence of GBV-C-RNA was 28.8%. The most frequent hepatotropic virus was HCV, appearing in 71.6% of cases. Coinfection with HCV and HGV was present in 17% and 8.6% only had GBV-C. Patients positive for GBV-C-RNA showed clinical and analytical characteristics similar to those found in GBV-C-RNA negative patients. Among the HCV-GBV-C coinfected and those presenting HGV as the only virus it was observed that the coinfected group presented alterations in transaminases and predominance of parenteral transmission as a risk factor for HIV, whereas the GBV-C group presented normal transaminases and predominance of sexual transmission. No differences were perceived in mean CD4 and HIV-RNA values in both groups.  Conclusions: Being positive for GBV-C in HIV-positive patients does not influence the presence of hepatic disease that in these patients is frequently accompanied by coinfection with other hepatotropic viruses. Moreover, it does not seem to influence the viremia of the HIV nor the CD4 cell counts.

Keywords : GBV-C; HIV; Viral load; CD4; Hepatic disease; HCV- GBV-C coinfection.

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