GBV-C/HGV and HCV infection in mixed cryoglobulinaemia

Summary. Recently, a new, suspected hepatotropic virus has been identified. Named GBV-C/HGV, this virus shares with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) routes of transmission and molecular organization. Indeed, a proportion of HCVinfected patients (10‐25%) are also carriers of GBV-C/HGV. Since mixed cryoglobulinaemia (MC) is closely associated with HCV infection, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV infection in MC patients, and to investigate whether the double infection influenced the clinical and/or laboratory aspects of the disease. 52 patients affected by MC were studied. 100 patients affected by HCV-positive chronic liver disease (CLD) without MC were used as control group. To determine the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV infection in general population, 150 blood donors were studied, as well as 80 patients affected by nonA‐E CLD. Among the MC patients, only five (9·6%) were positive for both HCV and GBV-C/HGV infection. No difference was found between patients with and without double infection as regards main clinical and laboratory aspects. Among HCVpositive CLD cases, 27 were positive for double infection. Among blood donors, the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV infection was 8·0%, whereas in cases with cryptogenetic CLD the prevalence was 5·0%. In conclusion, these data show that GBV-C/HGV infection does not play any role in the pathogenesis of MC.