Hepatitis G virus RNA is common in AIDS patients' plasma but is not associated with abnormal liver function tests or other clinical syndromes

Hepatitis G virus (HGV) is a new virus found in 1% to 4% of blood from all donors but is more prevalent in some immunocompromised groups, with unclear clinical significance. Frozen plasma samples from 192 AIDS patients were tested for HGV RNA; 44 (23%) were positive. Positive patients did not differ from negative patients in age, gender, race, HIV infection risk factors, nor blood transfusion exposure. Hepatitis BsAg was associated with HGV infection (odds ratio [OR] = 7.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4- 25.0) but hepatitis C antibody was not. Mean values for liver function tests and hematologic values did not differ significantly between the groups nor did the occurrence of certain recognized AIDS-related complications. Mean CD4⁺ cell counts and HIV-1 plasma RNA levels were comparable in the two groups, but the mean circulating CD8⁺ cell count in the HGV-positive group (853 ± 458 cells/μL) was higher than in the negative group (682 ± 457 cells/μL; p = .03). Hepatitis G virus, although common in AIDS patients, does not appear to alter the course of AIDS nor appear as a distinct hepatitis syndrome.