Genotyping and Infection Rate of GBV-C among Iranian HCV- Infected Patients

authors:

avatar Reza Ghanbari 1 , avatar Mehrdad Ravanshad ORCID 2 , * , avatar Seyed Younes Hosseini 1 , avatar Ramin Yaghobi 3 , avatar Kiana Shahzamani 1

Department of Virology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, IR.Iran
Department of Virology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, ravanshad@modares.ac.ir, Tehran, IR.Iran
Department of Virology, Shiraz Transplant Research Center, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Fars, IR.Iran

How To Cite Ghanbari R, Ravanshad M, Hosseini S, Yaghobi R, Shahzamani K. Genotyping and Infection Rate of GBV-C among Iranian HCV- Infected Patients. Hepat Mon. 2010;10(2): 80-87. 

Abstract

Background and Aims: Hepatitis G virus/GB virus-C (HGV/GBV-C) is a newly identified member of the Flaviviridae family. Its clinical significance in chronic hepatitis C infection remains controversial. There is a geographical difference in the distribution of GBV-C in the world. The frequency of GBV-C infection among hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients varies. The aim of the current study was to determine the prevalence and genotypes of GBV-C among Iranian patients infected with chronic HCV.

Methods: Infection with GBV-C was surveyed in 71 chronic confirmed hepatitis C infected patients. These samples were collected at the Digestive Disease Research Center (DDRC) of Shariati Hospital, Tehran, Iran from January to October 2007. The 5’-UTR region of GBV-C RNA was detected using a novel in-house touchdown nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the products were sequenced and the results were aligned and phylogenically analyzed.

Results: Of the 71 HCV-infected patients, 31 (43.6%) were found positive for GBV-C RNA. Sequencing and phylogenic analysis showed that the samples were Genotype 2 of GBV-C.

Conclusions: It seems that there is a high rate of GBV-C infection among Iranian patients infected with chronic HCV. In comparison with the six reference genotypes, it was observed that all the samples were categorized in Genotype 2 of GBV-C, prevalent in North America, Africa and in European countries.

Keywords: GBV-C, HCV, Prevalence, Genotyping, Iranian, 5’-UTR

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