A cross-sectional study of SEN virus in liver transplant recipients

Abstract

T here has been a long-standing suspicion within the medical community that unidentified hepatotrophic viruses are responsible for both acute and chronic viral marker-negative hepatitis, an entity referred to as Non A to Non E (NANE) hepatitis. This suspicion has been supported by reports of transfusion-associated cryptogenic cirrhosis in the nontransplantation population 1 and the finding of unexplained posttransplantation graft hepatitis in 22% of liver transplant recipients in a recent report from San Francisco. 2 Despite earlier enthusiasm that an agent(s) responsible for NANE hepatitis had been identified, neither hepatitis G (HGV)/GB virus-C nor TT virus (TTV) subsequently has been shown to result in significant liver disease in either the immunocompetent population 3-12 or among liver transplant recipients. [13][14][15][16][17] Recently, a novel DNA virus referred to as SEN virus (SEN V) has been identified and characterized. 18 This virus is reported to be an unenveloped linear structure with an average length of 3,900 nucleotides. Eight genotypes (SEN V:A through H) have been identified. SEN V appears to have a high prevalence among blood transfusion recipients, 19 intravenous drug users, and those coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) or HIV. 20 Furthermore, the incidence of SEN V in some reports appears to be greater in those who develop NANE hepatitis than those who do not, 19 which leads to the suggestion that an association with NANE hepatitis exists.Liver transplant recipients are at high risk for acquiring previously undetected transfusion-associated viruses. Aside from the transplanted allograft itself and the unavoidable transfusion of passenger blood cells, many receive blood products in the pretransplantation treatment of complications of decompensated cirrhosis (e.g., blood transfusions for variceal bleeds, albumin infusions during paracentesis of ascites), as well as during transplantation surgery and in the posttransplantation period (i.e., red blood cell and platelet transfusions, frozen plasma, hepatitis B immune globulin, and volume expansion with albumin). Likewise, liver transplant recipients are significantly immunosuppressed, and it is well accepted by the transplant community that recurrent HCV 21 and hepatitis B virus (HBV) 22 post-

Molecular and Genotypic Study of Senv-D Virus Coinfection in Β-Thalassemic Patients Infected With the Hepatitis C Virus in Iraq

“…[12] Transplantation of organs or hematological progenitor cells can also represent a potential risk of infection transmission. SENV has the same transmission modes as HBV, and HCV [13] sequences were used by several researchers to study the homology between isolated clones. [6,14] The most common technique used for detection of SENV is polymerase chain reaction (PCR) through viral genome isolation and amplification using specific gene primers that react and catch the viral genome specifically.…”

SEN and Hepatitis Virus Infections in Nontransfused Children and Pediatric Thalassemia Patients with Multiple Transfusions in Taiwan

“…The clinical relevance of SENV infection in combination with HBV or HCV infection still remains controversial [6, 16, 22]. Ninety percent (9/10) of patients with HCV infection were found with SENV co-infection in this study.…”

“…Using the techniques of molecular biology, research may reveal that these viruses are merely pathogenic, non-pathogenic or may be pathogenic only under special conditions such as immunodeficiency. Yoshida et al[ 22] did not find any significant effects of SENV infection on graft or liver function among immunocompromised liver transplant recipients.…”

“…The trend of the presence of SENV-H infection in association with HCV infection found in this study needs further research due to a low patient number. Yoshida et al[ 22] suggested that SENV may be associated with HCV recurrence, but did not detect biochemical differences attributable to SENV among immunocompromised liver transplant recipients. Seventy percent of patients with chronic HCV infection were found to have SENV co-infection in this study.…”

SEN virus infection

“…These patients may be exposed to viral pathogens as they receive an allograft and sometimes great quantities of blood products both in the early post-transplant period and in the pre-transplant period. Yoshida et al published a cross-sectional study of SEN-V in liver transplantation [28]. They attempted to determine the point-prevalence of SEN-V in liver transplant recipients and correlate this with serum liver biochemistry.…”