Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Infection among Hemodialysis Patients from Southern Bulgaria

Abstract

Viral hepatitis B and C are widely recognized problems in hemodialysis (HD) patients. There have been increasing reports of the importance of the hepatitis E virus (HEV) in recent years, but the worldwide data on the seroprevalence of HEV among them are conflicting. The aim of the present study was to assess the seroprevalence of HEV in HD patients and to analyze the predictors of seropositivity. This study was conducted in 2020 in the central part of southern Bulgaria. A total of 225 patients were enrolled. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the determination of anti-HEV IgM/IgG was used. All patients were tested for the presence of HEV RNA. Anti-HEV IgM alone and anti-HEV IgG alone were found in 6 (2.7%) and 14 (6.2%) patients, respectively, and in 4 (1.8%) patients, they were found simultaneously. All patients were HEV RNA-negative. The overall HEV seroprevalence was 10.7% (24/225). The binominal logistic regression analysis of available predictors confirmed the role of vascular access and a duration of dialysis treatment over 5 years as predictors significantly associated with increased risk for HEV, and the consumption of bottled water with lower levels of HEV IgG seroprevalence among hemodialysis patients. The accumulated data are the basis for comparative analysis in subsequent trials in the same dialysis centers and for enhancing the range of screening markers used in this particular patient group.

Molecular Epidemiology of Hepatitis E Virus Genotypes in Blood Donors in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

“…This rate aligns closely with findings from other studies across various countries, illustrating a consistent pattern of Anti-HEV IgM prevalence (7,18,29,30). The age distribution among the study participants highlighted an increased risk of HEV infection with advancing age, especially prominent in the younger age groups, a trend also observed in other international studies (31,32). Educational attainment emerged as a notable demographic factor, with a significant portion of those testing positive for HEV having only primary education (33), pointing towards education as a potential risk factor.…”