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Home  >  Medical Research Archives  >  Issue 149  > Prevalence of Hepatitis E Virus in Patients with Chronic Hepatopathy in a Reference Center of Bahia State, Brazil
Published in the Medical Research Archives
May 2023 Issue

Prevalence of Hepatitis E Virus in Patients with Chronic Hepatopathy in a Reference Center of Bahia State, Brazil

Published on May 26, 2023

DOI 

Abstract

 

Introduction: Hepatitis E virus infection can lead to severe liver disease and unregulated hepatitis in patients with a history of previous chronic liver disease of different etiologies.

Objective: To determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis E in untreated carriers of hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, autoimmune hepatitis and in patients with drug-induced liver disease.

Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with a total sample of 301 outpatient hepatology volunteers. The detection of anti-HEV IgM and IgG antibodies was determined using the ELISA (RecomWell anti-HEV IgG and IgM, Mikrogen®, Germany), One-step real-time PCR was used for the detection of HEV-RNA (Taqman, Life Technologies TM, Foster City, CA, USA).

Results: The overall prevalence of anti-HEV IgG and IgM in the population studied was 12.95% and 2.3%, respectively. The prevalence by group were: anti-HEV IgG: hepatitis C virus with 13.2%, hepatitis B virus with 13%, autoimmune hepatitis with 8.1 and drug-induced liver disease with 21.1. Patients with HCV chronic hepatitis and positive HCV IgG serology showed an increase in transaminase levels in 66.7% (10/15) of the cases, while in the seronegative patients this increase was present in 42.4% (42/99) of the cases (p<0.05).

Conclusions: A high seroprevalence of HEV was observed. Among the patients with serology concomitantly positive for anti HEV IgG and IgM, 57.1% (4/7) had higher levels of TGO and TGP, suggesting acute HEV infection. A relationship between hepatitis C and E virus co-infection and elevated transaminase levels has been demonstrated. Future studies with evaluation of several clinical parameters are necessary.

Author info

Maria Schinoni, Gisele Menezes, Delvone Almeida, Sidelcina Pacheco, Maurício Campos, Michele Gouvea, Joao Pinho, Roberto Nascimento, Songeli Freire, Robert Schaer

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