HIV-GB virus C co-infection: an overview

GB virus C (GBV-C) and hepatitis G virus (HGV) are two isolates of the same virus, independently identified in humans in the 1990s by two research laboratories, and were initially considered a potential cause of liver disease. Studies failed to associate the virus with hepatitis or any known human disease. GBV-C reappeared in the scientific scene when some research groups, in an attempt to find the interference of the virus among HIV seropositive patients, reported a lower mortality rate and slower disease progression among co-infected patients. From then on, several mechanisms have been proposed to clarify this putative benefit; however, the question whether GBV-C exerts a protective effect in HIV-infected patients remains to be resolved.