Increased risk of hepatitis E virus infection in schizophrenia

Abstract

Until now, the risk of HEV infection in schizophrenia was unknown. The present results showed that the seroprevalence of anti-HEV IgG and anti-HEV IgM in schizophrenia were significantly higher than that in healthy controls. Anti-HEV IgG positivity increased with age and with the duration of disease in schizophrenia patients. Moreover, schizophrenia patients with increased CD4(+)/CD8(+) T-cell ratios (>2.03) had higher anti-HEV IgG detection rates than those with normal ratios (1.05-2.03). Compared with the schizophrenia patients who tested anti-HEV IgG negative, the levels of interleukin-4 and interleukin-10 (Th2 cytokines) were significantly higher, while the interleukin-12 (Th1 cytokine) level was significantly lower, in those with anti-HEV IgG positivity. Of five schizophrenia patients who were anti-HEV IgM positive, four had elevated CD4(+)/CD8(+) T-cell ratios. HEV RNA was isolated from one of these four patients and classified as genotype 4. Anti-HEV IgM positivity was not detected among healthy controls. Therefore, schizophrenia patients exhibited a higher risk of HEV infection than controls.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus infection in psychiatric patients and control subjects in Shandong Province, eastern China

“…In previous studies in China and Germany, significantly higher prevalences of HEV infection were reported in inpatients with schizophrenia than in normal subjects. 3,4 The prevalence of HEV infection in patients with schizophrenia found in our study is much higher than that reported in previous studies. Altogether, these studies indicate that psychiatric patients have a higher HEV prevalence than control subjects.…”

“…1,2 Large waterborne outbreaks of HEV infection often occur explosively in areas where sanitary conditions are poor and the hygiene infrastructure is underdeveloped. 2 Immune-compromised individuals and institutionalized patients are at high risk of suffering from infectious diseases, including hepatitis E. 3 Nevertheless, studies on the prevalence of HEV infection among psychiatric patients are extremely limited. [3][4][5] Thus, we conducted a case-control study to estimate the seroprevalence of HEV infection and the potential risk factors for acquiring HEV infection in psychiatric patients in Shandong Province, eastern China.…”

Seroepidemiology of Hepatitis E in Selected Population Groups in Croatia: A Prospective Pilot Study

“…A recently published Chinese study reported significant differences in the HEV IgG seroprevalence rate according to the type of psychiatric disorder. The highest positivity was found in patients with mental and behavioural disorders due to the use of alcohol and drugs, as well as in patients with schizophrenia (Xue et al., ). In a German study, the highest prevalence was reported from patients hospitalized in wards for addiction therapy, including alcohol abusers and IDUs (Reinheimer et al., ).…”

The Prevalence of Hepatitis E in a Patient Cohort Presenting With Addictive Injection Behavior

“…There appears to be a higher prevalence of hepatitis E in patients with psychiatric disorders. Cong et al (34) recorded a seroprevalence of 27.19% and Xue et al (35) a seroprevalence of 34.9% in one population in China taking overall psychiatric disorders into consideration in the first study and schizophrenia in the second.…”