Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.6.1.2 (alanine aminotransferase)
 26,722 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The clinical significance and course of acute hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection were studied by measuring HGV RNA and antibody to HGV envelope protein E2 (HGV-E2 antibody). A total of 59 patients with transfusion-associated non-A, non-B hepatitis, who were followed-up for more than 1 year, were selected retrospectively. HGV RNA was measured by reverse transcriptase (RT) and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed, using primer sets, in the 5'-non-coding region of the HGV genome. HGV-E2 antibody was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using recombinant E2 protein. Of the 59 patients, 51 (86%) were infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and 12 (20%) were infected with HGV; 11 of the 12 with HGV infection were also infected with HCV. HGV viraemia was cleared during the follow-up period in seven of the 12 patients with HGV infection. All these seven patients seroconverted for HGV-E2 antibody just before or just after the clearance of HGV viraemia. In contrast, all five patients without clearance of HGV viraemia were negative for HGV-E2 antibody (P = 0.0013). Of seven patients with continuous HGV viraemia at 1 year from the onset of acute hepatitis, four with HCV RNA showed chronic elevation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) but three without HCV RNA did not. The severity of acute hepatitis was similar between patients with both HGV and HCV infections and in those with HCV infection alone. The majority of patients with HGV infection cleared the virus during long-term follow-up. Appearance of HGV-E2 antibody was associated with the clearance of HGV viraemia. An abnormal ALT level was noted to depend on HCV infection but not on HGV infection in both the acute and chronic phases of transfusion-associated hepatitis.
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PMID:Evolution of hepatitis G virus infection and antibody response to envelope protein in patients with transfusion-associated non-A, non-B hepatitis. 965 67

GB virus-C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) is an RNA virus that can be transmitted by transfusion with the diagnosis based on the detection of serum GBV-C/HGV RNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In order to evaluate the role of antibodies to the E2 protein (anti-E2) of GBV-C/HGV in patients with acute posttransfusion hepatitis, anti-E2 was measured in one patient with acute GBV-C/HGV infection, five patients with acute GBV-C/HGV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection, and four patients with positive pretransfusion GBV-C/HGV RNA who were superinfected with HCV after transfusion. One patient with acute GBV-C/HGV infection remained GBV-C/HGV RNA-positive 18 months after transfusion and did not develop anti-E2. Among five patients with acute GBV-C/HGV and HCV coinfection, one lost GBV-C/HGV RNA 28 months after transfusion and developed anti-E2 independent of serum alanine aminotransferase levels. The other four patients remained GBV-C/HGV RNA-positive and anti-E2-negative at the end of follow-up. Among four patients with positive pretransfusion GBV-C/HGV RNA and super-infected with HCV, one lost GBV-C/HGV RNA 2 months and one 10 months after superinfection and subsequently developed anti-E2. The other two patients remained GBV-C/HGV RNA-positive without anti-E2 at the end of follow-up. Sixty-five samples tested were mutually and exclusively positive for either GBV-C/HGV RNA or anti-E2; only one sample was positive for both GBV-C/HGV RNA and anti-E2. In conclusion, the development of anti-E2 of GBV-C/HGV usually indicates the clearance of serum GBV-C/HGV RNA in patients with acute posttransfusion hepatitis.
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PMID:Detection of antibodies to E2-protein of GB virus-C/hepatitis G virus in patients with acute posttransfusion hepatitis. 989 Apr 27

Mechanisms determining the chronicity or the pattern of clinical course of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections have not been clarified. Recently, CD81 was reported to bind the E2 protein of HCV and was suggested to function as a cellular receptor for HCV. Accordingly, the hypothesis was examined that CD81 polymorphism, if it exists, might correlate with certain clinical courses of HCV infection. CD81 cDNA sequences were determined from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Twenty-four Japanese subjects were enrolled initially as follows: patients with chronic hepatitis C without cirrhosis (n = 3), patients with cirrhosis (n = 3), patients with cirrhosis complicated by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (n = 3), patients with persistent HCV viremia without ALT elevation (n = 3), those with positive anti-HCV antibodies without evidence of HCV viremia (n = 3), and healthy volunteers (n = 9). In all PBMCs samples analyzed, no polymorphism was found in the CD81 cDNA sequence. The sequence was different, however, from the one reported previously at three nucleotide positions: a transversion to thymine instead of cytosine at nt 1130, a deletion at nt 1206, and a guanine insertion at nt 71. Subsequently, CD81 cDNA sequences from PBMCs and HCC tissue were compared among the other 6 patients with chronic hepatitis C bearing HCC. A comparative study of the CD81 sequences from HCC and PBMCs revealed that various nucleotide mutations existed only in the HCC samples in 3 out of 6 patients. Several mutations in the 3' non-coding region of CD81 cDNA were observed exclusively in HCC tissue suggesting its possible role in hepatocarcinogenesis. Because of the absence of polymorphisms, however, CD81 is unlikely to affect the progression of chronic hepatitis C in terms of chronicity, hepatitis activity, or disease stage.
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PMID:CD81 nucleotide mutation in hepatocellular carcinoma and lack of CD81 polymorphism in patients at stages of hepatitis C virus infection. 1113 Aug 83

Background A new hepatitis-associated RNA virus, belonging to the Flaviviridae, has been recently discovered and called HGV (GBV-C). This virus has been shown to be transmitted parenterally. In this study we examined a group of children born to HCV infected women. Methods Between September 1994 and December 1998, we studied a cohort of 53 pregnant women, aged between 20 and 43 years. They were all HCV Ab and HCV RNA positive, with a diagnosis of chronic hepatitis. One patient was HbsAg positive and 4 patients (pts.) (7.5%) were HIV Ab positive. Anamnestic information revealed that: 28 pts. (52.8%) were IVDUs, 11 pts. (20.8%) had been haemotransfused and 14 pts. (26.4%) had no risk factors. We examined HGV RNA by RT nested PCR, using primers from the 5'UTR of HGV. Anti-HGV antibodies (anti-E2) were detected with an ELISA test using recombinant E2 protein. Ten of the 53 pregnant women (18.9%) were HGV RNA positive (32 other pts., 60.4%, were positive for anti-E2 antibodies). We monitored their children for 18-24 months (with clinicai and haematological controls), looking for HGV RNA, anti-E2 antibodies, HCV RNA and for ALT serum levels. Results Seven (70%) new-bom children proved HGV RNA positive at follow-up; all babies were HCV RNA negative at controls. Four of them were born vaginally; none of them was breast-fed. HGV RNA was first detectable at the 3rd month of life in 3 babies, and all babies were HGV RNA positive at the 6th month of life. Six babies (85.7%) remained positive during the observation period. One baby (14.3%) seroconverted at 10 months, developing anti E-2 antibodies and becoming HGV RNA negative. Four babies (57.1%) maintained normal ALT serum levels during the whole follow-up period, while 3 patients showed a low increase in ALT serum levels. The ALT values normalised at later controls. Conclusions HGV infection shows a very high (70%) rate of vertical transmission but a low and doubtful pathogenicity with asymptomatic evolution in babies. Patients who did not develop anti-E2 antibodies at the 12th month of life remained infected without persistent signs of hepatic failure.
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PMID:[Evolution of hepatitis G in children with vertically transmitted HGV] 1270 18

Objectives To determine 1. The prevalence and incidence of HGV infection in patients with chronic hepatitis C and 2. Its influence on the clinical outcome of chronic hepatitis C. Patients and methods Sixty-five patients with non-parenteral chronic hepatitis C virus infection were investigated for HGV infection using the polymerase chain reaction for HGV-RNA and by detecting serum antibodies against the E2 protein of HGV (anti-E2 antibodies). Results HGV-RNA in serum was found in 12 patients (18.4%) and anti-E2 antibodies in 4 (6.1%). No difference in age, sex, liver histology, basal ALT or ?GT was found between HGV positive and negative cases. Thirty-four patients (6 with HGV-RNA) were followed-up for 4 years; 4 of the 6 lost HGV-RNA, one of whom seroconverted to anti-E2. None of the 28 HGV-RNA negative cases presented HGV infection during the follow-up period. The presence of HGV infection did not influence either basal HCV viremia or the response of HCV to IFN therapy. Conclusions The study demonstrated that HGV had an intense circulation through non-classic parenteral routes, but its impact on HCV replication and liver disease is negligible.
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PMID:[Elevata prevalenza ma bassa incidenza della infezione da HGV in pazienti con epatite cronica C] 1270 4

GB virus C/hepatitis G Virus (HGV) is a single-stranded RNA virus that is transmitted parenteraly. This study investigates GB virus C in 62 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and non B non C hepatitis (CNBNC). The viral E2 protein was examined in the sera of the patients (using western blott assay) while viral replication in the liver was examined by detecting the negative strand of HGV-RNA and its E2 protein in liver tissue using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining respectively. E2 protein was detected in 28% of patients with chronic hepatitis C and in 13.3% of patients with non B non C chronic hepatitis, while not detected in healthy blood donors (0%). HGV- E2 protein and the negative strand of HGV -RNA were detected in hepatocytes of only 3 out of the 13 examined liver biopsies from HGV infected patients (23%). The mean level of ALT in chronic HCV hepatitis patients who were +ve for HGV was significantly lower than those who were -ve for HGV. There was a significant difference between the mean value of HCV -RNA level by real time PCR in sera of hepatitis C positive patients with + ve HGV-E2 when compared with HCV patients with - ve HGV-E2 (p < 0.001). It is concluded that HGV co-infection may occur in some cases with CHC and CNBNC. Sites of replication, other than liver, are suggested as the virus was detected in liver tissue of only 23 % of cases inspite of its presence in their sera.
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PMID:GB virus C/hepatitis G virus in serum and liver of patients with chronic C and non B non C hepatitis: molecular and immunological aspects. 1868 66