Spectrum of hepatitis E virus infection in India.
A solid phase enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that detects IgM and IgG to hepatitis E virus (HEV) was used to study seroepidemiology in 40 healthy subjects and 227 consecutive patients with liver diseases in an endemic area. Fifty-two of the liver diseases patients (22.9 percent) had acute hepatitis E. In contrast, none of the 40 healthy subjects were positive for IgM anti-HEV, validating the ELISA assay. Twenty-three of 25 (92%) patients with epidemic non-A, non-B hepatitis were confirmed as having acute hepatitis E. Only 1 of the 10 patients with sporadic, fulminant hepatic failure of non-A, non-B, non-C etiology was positive for IgM anti-HEV. Five (31.2%) of the 16 patients with acute hepatitis in HBsAg carriers were positive for IgM anti-HEV. One patient with acute hepatitis B was coinfected with acute hepatitis E. Acute hepatitis was a disease of the adult population, with peak attack rates in the second and third decades of life. This disease was seen in only 4 (16%) of the 25 patients with acute viral hepatitis occurring below 14 years of age. Cholestasis was predominant in 25% of patients, enzyme elevation was monophasic, and all patients had clinical and biochemical recovery from the disease. The data suggest that the majority of patients with acute sporadic non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis in India have hepatitis E. However, fulminant hepatic failure to sporadic nature is rarely from hepatitis E.
Khuroo
M S
MS
Department of Gastroenterology, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, India.
Rustgi
V K
VK
Dawson
G J
GJ
Mushahwar
I K
IK
Yattoo
G N
GN
Kamili
S
S
Khan
B A
BA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M