Status of anti-HEV IgG and IgM antibodies among the hemodialysis patients in southwest region of Iran

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) account for acute hepatitis, fulminant liver failure and chronic hep- atitis worldwide. Several high riskgroups including hemodialysis (HD) patients are at risk of HEV infection. Based on con- sequences of HEV infection it is important to determine the serologicaland molecular epidemiology of HEV in HD patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of HEV antibodies and HEV RNA in HD patients.
 Materials and Methods: The sera of 84 HD patients were collected and tested for anti- HEV IgG and anti IgM antibodies using enzyme-linkedimmunosorbent assay (ELISA) at Golestan hospital in Ahvaz city during October 2014 and November 2014. HEV RNA was tested in HD patients using RT PCR. The prevalence of anti- HEV IgG was evaluated in the age group (52/84) > 50 and (31/84) < 50 years.
 Results: Out of 84 patients, 52 (61.9%) were males and 32 (38.1%) females. The mean age of participants was 52 ± 1.57 years. 43/84 (51.19%) casesincluding 26/52 (50%) males and 17/32 (53.1%) females were positive for anti-HEV IgG (p=0.95). Among the 43 cases positive anti-HEV IgG 8 cases including 5 (9.61%) males and 3 (9.37%) females tested posi- tive for anti-HEV IgM (p=0.729) while the HEV RNA was negative in HD patients. Thedistribution of anti- HEV IgG was 62.75% and 33.33% among the age group >50 and <50 respectively (p=0.015).
 Conclusion: This study showed high prevalence of anti-HEV IgG antibodies (51.19%) were observed among the HD pa- tients while the HEV RNA testednegative in HD patients. The rate of HEV IgG is significantly higher with increased age. Further investigation require to identify the factors account for high seroprevalence of HEV in Ahvaz HD units.

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

“…The observed rise in the proportion of HEV-positive HD patients with increasing age, although not statistically significant (Figure 2), has been similarly documented in other research centers [6,41,42,47]. This phenomenon can be partially attributed to the tendency of dialysis research to primarily focus on the adult population (≥18 years old), rather than encompassing the entire age range typically observed in population studies.…”

“…The prevalence of HEV was found to be 3.53% in individuals aged 1-9 years, increasing to 19.23% in individuals aged over 60 years (p = 0.004) [31]. Publications on the subject provide heterogeneous information, from a pronounced age-dependence of HEV prevalence at the population level [49,50] and a corresponding lack thereof [47]. These disparities indicate that age alone is not a reliable indicator of positivity.…”

“…The lack of HEV RNA positivity among individuals receiving hemodialysis is a positive aspect due to the possible risks associated with the development of chronic hepatitis E, particularly in patients who have had organ transplantation or have pre-existing chronic liver disease. The prevalence studies conducted in the hemodialysis population have generally found that HEV RNA is not detectable [16,23,42,47]. This is likely because the generally asymptomatic clinical course of HEV infection does not typically prompt testing for hepatotropic viruses.…”

Serological Status of Hunters and Their Family Members in Relation to Risk of Hev Infections

“…The infection is especially dangerous to pregnant women and is associated with high morbidity and even a risk of death. A subclinical course of HEV infection in blood donors has also been described [1,6,10,11,18].…”