Journal
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
Volume 85, Issue 2, Pages 266-271Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/jmv.23463
Keywords
hepatitis E virus (HEV); chronic renal failure; epidemiology
Categories
Funding
- CSO Scotland [FTM/32]
- Duchy Healthcare Charity, Truro, Cornwall
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
- Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC)
- GlaxoSmithKlein
- Wantai
- Chief Scientist Office [ETM/32] Funding Source: researchfish
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Locally acquired HEV infection is increasingly recognized in developed countries. Anti-HEV IgG seroprevalence has been shown to be high in haemodialysis patients in a number of previous studies, employing assays of uncertain sensitivity. The aim of this study was to investigate anti-HEV IgG seroprevalence in recipients of haemodialysis and renal transplants compared to a control group using a validated, highly sensitive assay. Eighty-eight patients with functioning renal transplants and 76 receiving chronic haemodialysis were tested for HEV RNA and anti-HEV IgG and IgM. Six hundred seventy controls were tested for anti-HEV IgG. Anti-HEV IgG was positive in 28/76 (36.8%) of haemodialysis and 16/88 (18.2%) of transplant patients. HEV RNA was not found in any patient. 126/670 (18.8%) of control subjects were anti-HEV IgG positive. After adjusting for age and sex, there was a significantly higher anti-HEV IgG seroprevalence amongst haemodialysis patients compared to controls (OR?=?1.97, 95% CI?=?1.163.31, P?=?0.01) or transplant recipients (OR?=?2.63, 95% CI?=?1.186.07, P?=?0.02). Patients with a functioning transplant showed no difference in anti-HEV IgG seroprevalence compared to controls. The duration of haemodialysis or receipt of blood products were not significant risk factors for HEV IgG positivity. Patients receiving haemodialysis have a higher seroprevalence of anti-HEV IgG than both age- and sex-matched controls and a cohort of renal transplant patients. None of the haemodialysis patients had evidence of chronic infection. The reason haemodialysis patients have a high seroprevalence remains uncertain and merits further study. J. Med. Virol. 85:266271, 2013. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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