Viremia, fecal shedding, and IgM and IgG responses in patients with hepatitis E.
Viremia, fecal shedding and antibody responses to hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections are poorly understood. To better characterize HEV infections, these responses were examined in 67 patients with acute markers for hepatitis E who were admitted to the Infectious Disease Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal in 1993. A single stool and multiple sera from each patient were examined using polymerase chain reaction to detect HEV RNA. Sera were also examined for antibodies to HEV. Viremia, fecal shedding, and IgM and IgG to HEV were detected in 93%, 70%, 79%, and 87% of 67 patients, respectively. Viremia or fecal shedding (or both) were detected in 14 patients from whom IgM and IgG to HEV were not detected. Viremia lasted at least 2 weeks in nearly all subjects and at least 39 days in 1 subject. Our results suggest that viremia is a common occurrence in patients infected with HEV.
Clayson
E T
ET
Department of Virology, US Army Medical Component of the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand.
Myint
K S
KS
Snitbhan
R
R
Vaughn
D W
DW
Innis
B L
BL
Chan
L
L
Cheung
P
P
Shrestha
M P
MP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014766:Viremia; D017201:Virus Shedding
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase