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Hepatitis G virus infection in primary Sjögren's syndrome:
analysis in a series of 100 patients
a Systemic Autoimmune Diseases Unit, b Department of
Haemotherapy, c Liver Unit, d Hospital Clínic,
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Correspondence to: Dr J Font , Unitat de Malalties Autoimmunes Sistèmiques, Hospital Clínic, C/Villaroel, 170, 08036-Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Accepted for publication 13 November 1997
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence and clinical
significance of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection in a large cohort of
patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS).
PATIENTS AND METHODSThe study included 100 consecutive patients (92 female and eight male), with a mean age of 62 years (range 31-80) that were prospectively visited in our unit. All
patients fulfilled the European Community criteria for SS and underwent
a complete history, physical examination, as well as biochemical and
immunological evaluation for liver disease. Two hundred volunteer blood
donors were also studied. The presence of HGV-RNA was investigated in the serum of all patients and donors. Aditionally, HBsAg and antibodies to hepatitis C virus were determined.
RESULTSFour patients (4%) and six volunteer
blood donors (3%) presented HGV-RNA sequences in serum. HGV infection
was associated with biochemical signs of liver involvement in two
(50%) patients. When compared with primary SS patients without HGV
infection, no significant differences were found in terms of clinical
or immunological features. HCV coinfection occurs in one (25%) of the
four patients with HGV infection.
CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of HGV infection in
patients with primary SS is low in the geographical area of the study
and HCV coinfection is very uncommon. HGV infection alone does not seen
to be an important cause of chronic liver injury in the patients with
primary SS in this area.
© 1998 by Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
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