A harmless virus, which is common in the population, GB Virus C or Hepatitis G virus, discovered about six years ago, is seen to allow AIDS patients to live much longer by slowing the progress of the disease AIDS.



Two new studies, one at the University of Iowa School of Medicine with 363 AIDS patients and another at the Hanover Medical School in Germany with 197 patients, have shown that concurrent infection with GB Virus C, in those patients suffering from AIDS, reduces the virus load by nearly 99%. This is also confirmed by in vitro (done outside the human body) studies where the peripheral blood of AIDS patients was studied for their infected mononuclear blood cells. 24 hours after being inoculated with GB Virus C, the AIDS patients' mononuclear cells cleared their virus load to the extent of 99%.



The GB virus C was known to researchers for a long time but, as it was not capable of producing any disease in man it was not studied further. It belongs to the same family of viruses, like Hepatitis C, Yellow fever, and dengue fever. The present research came up by sheer accident.



When researchers get to know more about the exact mechanism of action of this new virus we will have many options for treating AIDS patients. In the meantime, enthusiastic doctors and patients are advised not to venture to take the injection of GB Virus C to prevent AIDS just yet. (New England Jr. of Medicine 2001; 345: 707-724)