Insights into SEN Virus Prevalence, Transmission, and Treatment in Community‐Based Persons and Patients with Liver Disease Referred to a Liver Disease Unit

Abstract

To document the prevalence and routes of transmission of SEN virus (SEN-V) in community-based individuals and patients referred to a liver disease unit, stored serum samples obtained from 160 Canadian Inuit and 140 patients with liver disease were tested for SEN-V DNA by polymerase chain reaction. In the community-based population, SEN-V was present in 57 (36%) of 160 persons. SEN-V-positive individuals tended to be younger and were more often male. Liver enzyme levels and serologic markers for hepatitis A and B viruses were similar in SEN-V-positive and SEN-V-negative individuals. SEN-V was present in 30 (21%) of the 140 patients with liver disease. Age, sex, risk factors for viral acquisition, prevalence of symptoms, and liver biochemical and histological findings were similar in SEN-V-positive and SEN-V-negative patients. These results indicate that SEN-V infection is a common viral infection in both healthy individuals and patients with chronic liver disease, that transmission likely occurs via nonparenteral routes, and that SEN-V infection is not associated with higher rates of or more-severe liver disease in persons with preexisting liver disease.

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

“…Another report, Sugiura et al[ 18], in Japan reported that the two variants are not associated with acute or chronic hepatitis, although SENV-D might be a risk factor of fulminant hepatitis. Nevertheless, other studies have found only a weak association between SENV infection and liver disease [19,20,21]. In this study, no significant association was found between SENV infection and persistent elevated ALT value due to HBV/HCV infection or non-HBV/HCV origin, suggesting that the presence of SENV did not cause more severe liver damage in our patient group.…”

Prevalence and determinants of SENV viremia among adolescents in an endemic area of chronic liver diseases

“…The prevalence rates of SENV‐D and SENV‐H DNA in a HCV highly endemic area were similar to a contiguous area where HCV was not endemic 32 . In a community‐based population, SENV‐D and/or SENV‐H DNA positive rates were similar in subjects with or without HBV seropositivity (21.4% vs 36.6%; P > 0.5) 33 . Also, no significant difference in the prevalence rates of SENV in children with or without a history of blood transfusion was observed in Japan 23 .…”

SEN virus co‐infection among HCV‐RNA‐positive mothers, risk of transmission to the offspring and outcome of child infection during a 1‐year follow‐up

“…It might be suggested that SENV‐H is preferentially a bloodborne infection while SENV‐D can be transmitted by other routes. Unfortunately, studies previously performed on a community‐based population did not analyse SENV genotype [3]. However, studies performed on IDU patients in the USA demonstrated a significantly higher frequency of SENV‐H when compared with SENV‐D [14].…”