Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis E virus among hemodialysis patients in Sweden.
In order to study the prevalence of antibody to hepatitis E virus (HEV) among hemodialysis patients and to evaluate whether chronic hemodialysis is associated with an increased risk of exposure to HEV in developed countries, the IgG anti-HEV was determined in serum samples obtained from 182 patients on chronic hemodialysis and 349 statistically selected, healthy Swedish control subjects. Serum specimens from 11 of the 182 (6.0%) hemodialysis patients and from 18 of the 349 (5.2%) control subjects were repeatedly positive for HEV antibodies (the difference was not significant: P = .67). Analysis of serial serum samples obtained at the initiation of hemodialysis and consecutively during follow-up periods of several years demonstrated no IgG anti-HEV seroconversion during chronic hemodialysis. The seroprevalence of anti-HEV antibody in the adult Swedish population was associated significantly with age. In persons younger than 40 years, the percentage of seropositive individuals was 2.5%, whereas the seroprevalence rate of anti-HEV was 7.4% in subjects older than 40 years (P < .05). This study indicates that nosocomial transmission of HEV to patients on maintenance hemodialysis was non-existent in three dialysis centers in Sweden (a developed country) and that chronic hemodialysis is not associated with an increased risk of exposure to HEV infection in this region.
Sylvan
S P
SP
Department of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Jacobson
S H
SH
Christenson
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies