AIM To compare the point mutation deviations of HGV among E2, NS3 and NSSA.METHODS Seven patients with hepatic diseases from Japan and China were selected for this study. RNAwas extracted and amplified by semi-nested RT-PCR; and the PCR products were sequenced directly.RESULTS The point mutation deviations of HGV ia E2, NS3 and NS5A were 10% - 17%, 11% -23%,and 0% - 5%, in nuclcotide sequences and 4% - 12%, 0%, and 0% - 6% in amino acid sequencesrespectively.CONCLUSION The frequency of variation at the nucleotide level was in the order NS3>E2>NS5A, whileat the amino acid level the order was E2 >NS5A>NS3. The detected sequences from the N-terminus of E2may be the poorly conserved region of HGV.

AIM To investigate the infection of hepatitis G virus (HGV) in 105 cases of drug abusers.MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred and five heroin addicts including 85 males and 20 females,aged from 17a to 45a old, mean age 26.3a±5.8a were observed. Duration of the drug abusing was rangedfrom 5 mo to 168 mo with mean 37.5 mo±23.6 mo. Seventy-five cases accepted the drug by intravenousinjection only, 30 others by both intravenous and scalded inhaling ways. All cases had no history of bloodtransfusion. ① Detection of HGV-RNA: total RNA was extracted from serum by the acid quanidinum thiocyanate-phenol-ethanol method, the 5'terminal non-coded region of HGV-RNA was amplified by nested reversetranscription-PCR, ② anti-HAV-IgM, HBsAg, anti-HCV, HDAg, anti-HD, anti-HD-IgM and anti-HEVwere detected by ELISA. Reagents were provided by Shenzhen Moon Bay Biologic Company. ③ Hepaticfunctions were determined by Hitachi 7510 automatic analyzer.RESULTS (① Incidence of HGV infection: 25(23.8%) of 105 drug abusers, 21 men and 4 women,wereinfected with HGV. The mean drug taking time of HGV infected cases were 38.6 mo±19.9 mo, it is similarwith the mean duration of drug abusing, 37.7 mo±24.6 mo (P>0.05), of those cases without HGVinfection. ② Superinfection of HGV with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV): 26 (24.7%)of 105 addicts were infected with HBV and 68 (64.8%) with HCV. Among 25 cases infected with HGV, 8(32%) of them were infected with HGV alone, 6(24.0%) were superinfected with HCV, 2(8.0%) withHBVand 9(36.0%) with HCV and HBV. Thus, 17(68.0%) of 25 cases infected with HGV weresuperinfected with HCV and/or HBV. ③ Hepatic function tests: The total serum bilirubin levels of all 105cases were less than 20 umol/L. The ALT levels of 30(28.6%) cases were more than 40 U/L and amongthem, 1 case was infected with HGV only, 1 was superinfected with HGV and HBV, 3 with HGV and HCV,7 with HGV, HBV and HCV respectively. Meanwhile also among the cases with abnormal increased ALTlevel, 1 case infected with HBV, 15 with HCV, 2 superinfected with HBV and HCV.CONCLUSION The results of this investigation neveal that in drug abusers the incrdence of viral hepatitis isin the order of HCV, HBV and HGV.

Hepatitis G virus (HGV),also known as GB virus C, is a recently cloned virus which may be associated with human non A-E hepatitis[1，2] It is parenterally transmitted and usually coinfected or superinfected with hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus[3-5]. Some investigations have been reported on the seroprevalence and molecular prevalence of HGV infection in different areas and different population[6-15]. Current infection of HGV is diagnosed by detection of HGV RNA, and past infection with HGV is detectable by testing anti-HGV envelope protein (E2)[16-17]. To investigate the prevalence of HGV in Hubei Province, a central area of the People's Republic of China, ELISA and RT-PCR were employed to detect serum anti-HGV and HGV RNA in 1516 patients who were divided into 16 groups.