Lack of anti-GOR antibody among subjects with GB virus C/hepatitis G virus RNA

Homologies were sought between the putative amino acid sequences of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) and the GOR epitope or the liver/kidney microsome-1 (LKM-1) epitope, which share partial sequence identity with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) polyprotein. Anti-GOR antibody (anti-GOR) was assayed among 100 subjects with GBV-C/HGV RNA. Twenty-one and 25 subjects were coinfected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or HCV, respectively. Homologies were found between the NS5 or E2 polyproteins of GBV-C/HGV and the GOR epitope or the LKM-1 epitope, respectively. These segments of GBV-C/HGV polyproteins sharing identity with the GOR or the LKM-1 epitope were well conserved among three genotypes of GBV-C/HGV. However, only 1 of 55 subjects (1.8%) with GBV-C/HGV RNA, but not with HBV or HCV, was positive for anti-GOR. The positivity for anti-GOR among the group with GBV-C/HGV RNA alone was significantly lower than that among the groups with HCV RNA (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Only 2 of 55 subjects (3.6%) with GBV-C/HGV RNA alone exhibited elevation of alanine aminotransferase. The incidence of liver dysfunction among the group with GBV-C/HGV RNA alone was significantly lower than the incidence among the groups with GBV-C/HGV RNA and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or HCV RNA (P < 0.01 and P < 0.01, respectively). These data indicate that 1) there is no association between GBV-C/HGV infection and the presence of anti-GOR, and 2) GBV-C/HGV infection is not related to chronic liver dysfunction.