Abstract
The prevalence of GB virus C (GBV-C) in candidate Brazilian blood donors with normal and elevated alanine aminotransferase levels was found to be 5.2% (5 of 95) and 6.5% (5 of 76), respectively. Among Brazilian patients, GBV-C was found in 9.5% (13 of 137) of cases of hepatitis not caused by hepatitis A virus (HAV), HBV, HCV, HDV, or HEV (non-A-E hepatitis) and in 18.2% (8 of 44) of individuals infected with HCV. Molecular characterization of GBV-C by partial sequencing of the NS3 region showed clustering between members of a single family, implying intrafamilial transmission. In conclusion, these results together suggest that contagion mechanisms which facilitate intrafamilial transmission of GBV-C may partially explain the high prevalence of viremic carriers worldwide.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Base Sequence
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Blood Donors
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Brazil
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Family
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Flaviviridae / classification
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Flaviviridae / isolation & purification*
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Hepatitis, Viral, Human / transmission*
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Humans
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Phylogeny
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Polymerase Chain Reaction
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Prevalence
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Viral Nonstructural Proteins / genetics
Substances
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Viral Nonstructural Proteins
Associated data
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GENBANK/AF124758
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GENBANK/AF124759
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GENBANK/AF124760
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GENBANK/AF124761
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GENBANK/AF124762
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GENBANK/AF124763
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GENBANK/AF124764
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GENBANK/AF124765
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GENBANK/AF124766
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GENBANK/AF124767
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GENBANK/AF124768
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GENBANK/AF124769
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GENBANK/AF124770
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GENBANK/AF124771
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GENBANK/AF124772
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GENBANK/AF124773
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GENBANK/AF124774
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GENBANK/AF124775
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GENBANK/AF124776
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GENBANK/AF124777
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GENBANK/AF124778
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GENBANK/AF124779
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GENBANK/AF124780
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GENBANK/AF124781
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GENBANK/AF124782
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GENBANK/AF124783
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GENBANK/AF124784