[Serological character of hepatitis E virus mutants].
OBJECTIVE
64 sera with serologically negative nonA-E were tested for HEV RNA and their serological characteristics were studied.


METHODS
HEV RNA was tested by a reverse transcriptase PCR(RT-PCR) and the positive PCR products were cloned and sequenced. Of 15 patients positive for HEV RNA, 6 were followed up and tested for anti-HEV.


RESULTS
15 of them(23.4%) were HEV RNA positive. 9 of the 15 HEV sequences have 95% homology and the remaining 6 have only 80% homology as compared with the Chinese HEV strain at the nucleotide level. Of 15 patients positive for HEV RNA, 6 were followed up. 3 of 4 patients infected with typical HEV had anti-HEV seroconversion 1 month after infection and 2 patients infected with HEV mutants were persistently negative for anti-HEV 1 or 3 months after infection.


CONCLUSIONS
The Commercial anti-HEV EIA Kit can not detect HEV mutants.
Wang
Y
Y
National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products, Beijing.
Zhuang
H
H
Zhang
H
H
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral