Origin of GBV-C/HGV Genotypes in HIV-1-Infected Individuals in Japan

            As noted above, multiple HIV-1 subtypes have been found in a convenience sample of randomly collected plasma samples from HIV-1-infected individuals attending an HIV-1 treatment clinic in at the  Nagoya National Hospital in Japan.  Like HIV-1, GBV-C/HGV exists as geographic-specific genotypes, which permit tracing the movement of this orphan flavivirus.  Thus, we have examined the above-mentioned  samples from HIV-1-infected individuals in Japan for evidence of GBV-C/HGV infection.  The overall prevalence of GBV-C/HGV infection, based on detection of IgG antibodies to GBV-C/HGV E2 protein by ELISA and GBV-C/HGV RNA by RT-PCR, was 61.3%.  Sequence and phylogenetic analyses indicated GBV-C/HGV genotypes 2a and 3 among Japanese and non-Japanese men and women infected with HIV-1 via high-risk heterosexual sex or homosexual sex.  On the other hand, HIV-1-infected Japanese hemophiliacs exhibited GBV-C/HGV genotype 1b, which is prevalent in west Africa.  Since the HIV-1 epidemic among hemophiliacs in Japan originated from contaminated blood products (factors VIII and IX) derived from American donors, we speculate that hemophiliacs in Japan were similarly infected with GBV-C/HGV by transfusion.  Studies are now underway to verify which GBV-C/HGV genotype is most commonly found among HIV-1-infected homosexual men and hemophiliacs in the United States. 

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