Genotype characterisation of hepatitisG virus isolates from Iranian patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus

Abstract number: P2015

Ramezani A., Mohraz M., Aghakhani A., Banifazl M., Eslamifar A., Velayati A.A.

Objectives: Hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection is frequent in patients infected with the HIV due to similar transmission routes of these viruses. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of infection and genotypic characteristics of HGV in this population.

Methods: The presence of HGV RNA was determined in serum samples of 106 patients infected with HIV by reverse transcriptase-nested polymerase chain reaction. HGV genotypes were determined by direct sequencing. HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HCV, ALT, HIV viral load and CD4+ cells count were also tested in all subjects.

Results: The overall prevalence of HGV infection was 11.3% in HIV positive patients. There was no significant difference between patients with and without HGV infection regarding age, sex, route of transmission, viral load, ALT levels, HBV and HCV co-infection and treatment with antiretroviral drugs. 66.7% of patients with HGV had a CD4+ cells count 200 and 33.3% had a CD4+ cells count <200 cells/mm³. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all HGV isolates were genotype 2, and classified as subtype 2a.

Conclusion: HGV infection is relatively common in patients infected with HIV. The prevailing HGV genotype 2a in this study group concurred with reports from other parts of the Middle East.