@article {17442,
	title = {Prevalence patterns and genotypes of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus among imprisoned intravenous drug users},
	journal = {J Med VirolJ Med VirolJ Med Virol},
	volume = {56},
	number = {3},
	year = {1998},
	note = {Anastassopoulou, C GParaskevis, DSypsa, VPsichogiou, MKatsoulidou, ATassopoulos, NSkoutelis, AMalliori, MHatzakis, Aeng1998/10/23 02:01J Med Virol. 1998 Nov;56(3):246-52.},
	month = {Nov},
	pages = {246-52},
	abstract = {An RT-PCR assay using primers from the 5{\textquoteright}-UTR of the GBV-C/HGV genome was used to detect viremia, and a serological assay was used to detect past exposure to GBV-C/HGV, in sera from 106 imprisoned Greek intravenous drug users. High seroprevalence rates indicative of the parenteral route of transmission of the virus were found (32.1\% for GBV-C RNA and 46.2\% for anti-GBV-C E2). These rates were nonetheless lower in comparison to the corresponding rates of HCV infection markers (64.2\% for HCV RNA and 77.4\% for anti-HCV). Statistically significant univariate associations were observed between GBV-C-RNA positivity and younger age (P=0.006) and HCV-RNA positivity (P=0.024), as well as with higher serum alanine aminotransferase levels (P< 0.001); this latter association was shown to be independent of coinfection with HCV and of age by a multiple logistic regression model. Apparently, GBV-C/HGV had spread readily by needle-sharing in prison, while causing acute subclinical hepatitis in infected inmates. Phylogenetic analysis of the partial 5{\textquoteright}-UTR of the GBV-C/HGV genome from 16 seropositive individuals, which delineated their grouping within genotype 2, also revealed a close genetic relationship between two sets of sequences from 4 drug addicts, 3 of whom admitted to sharing needles while imprisoned.},
	keywords = {*Prisoners, 5{\textquoteright} Untranslated Regions, Adult, Aged, Alanine Transaminase/blood, Flaviviridae/classification/*genetics/immunology/isolation \& purification, Genotype, Greece/epidemiology, Hepatitis Antibodies/blood, Hepatitis C/complications/epidemiology, Hepatitis, Viral, Human/complications/*epidemiology/virology, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Molecular Sequence Data, Prevalence, Regression Analysis, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, RNA, Viral/blood/genetics, Seroepidemiologic Studies, Substance Abuse, Intravenous/*complications},
	isbn = {0146-6615 (Print)0146-6615 (Linking)},
	author = {Anastassopoulou, C. G. and Paraskevis, D and Sypsa, V and Psichogiou, M and Katsoulidou, A and Tassopoulos, N. and Skoutelis, A and Malliori, M. and Hatzakis, A}
}
