title: Short-term IgM and IgG antibody responses to hepatitis E virus infection.
abstract: 53 adult patients with acute hepatitis caused by hepatitis E virus were identified by the presence of IgM antibody to hepatitis E virus, and followed for 12 months to evaluate the kinetics of anti-HEV antibodies. All but 1 female Kuwaiti patient were expatriate workers from the Indian subcontinent, temporarily working in Kuwait. Follow-up samples obtained at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months were evaluated for IgM and IgG antibodies to hepatitis E virus. IgM-class antibodies to hepatitis E virus were detectable in 12/27 (44%) patients at 1 months, in 0/26 at 3 months, in 0/8 at 6 months and 0/6 at 12 months. IgG antibodies to hepatitis E virus were detectable in 46/47 (98%) at onset, 26/27 (96%) at 1 month, in 26/29 (90%) at 3 months, 16/16 (100%) at 6 months and 8/8 (100%) at 12 months of follow-up. This study suggests that IgM antibodies to hepatitis E virus decline rapidly after an acute infection but IgG antibodies to hepatitis E virus persists for at least 1 year in many patients.
authors.affiliation: Thuniyan Al-Ghanim Gastroenterology Center, Al-Amiri Hospital, Kuwait.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koshy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grover
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Hyams
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Shabrawy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pacsa
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: al-Nakib
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Zaidi
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: al-Anezi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: al-Mufti
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burans
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carl
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Richards
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000276:immunology*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M