title: Insights into SEN virus prevalence, transmission, and treatment in community-based persons and patients with liver disease referred to a liver disease unit.
abstract: To document the prevalence and routes of transmission of SEN virus (SEN-V) in community-based individuals and patients referred to a liver disease unit, stored serum samples obtained from 160 Canadian Inuit and 140 patients with liver disease were tested for SEN-V DNA by polymerase chain reaction. In the community-based population, SEN-V was present in 57 (36%) of 160 persons. SEN-V-positive individuals tended to be younger and were more often male. Liver enzyme levels and serologic markers for hepatitis A and B viruses were similar in SEN-V-positive and SEN-V-negative individuals. SEN-V was present in 30 (21%) of the 140 patients with liver disease. Age, sex, risk factors for viral acquisition, prevalence of symptoms, and liver biochemical and histological findings were similar in SEN-V-positive and SEN-V-negative patients. These results indicate that SEN-V infection is a common viral infection in both healthy individuals and patients with chronic liver disease, that transmission likely occurs via nonparenteral routes, and that SEN-V infection is not associated with higher rates of or more-severe liver disease in persons with preexisting liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Liver Diseases Unit, Health Sciences Centre, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB R3E 3P4, Canada.
authors.forename: Steve G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Primi
authors.forename: Hiroshige
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sottini
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giulivi
authors.forename: Manna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Uhanova
authors.forename: Gerald Y
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Minuk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D003153:Community Health Services; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral