Prevalence of antibody to hepatitis E virus among haemodialysis patients in Taiwan: possible infection by blood transfusion.
OBJECTIVE
A higher prevalence of anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV) in non-endemic viral hepatitis such as in Germany has been reported in our previous study. The aim of this study was to assess the seroepidemiology of HEV among haemodialysis (HD) patients in Shin-Kong Hospital, Taiwan, and to evaluate whether there was an increased risk of infection and exposure to HEV even in an area of endemic viral hepatitis.


METHODS
Serum samples obtained from 400 Taiwanese patients on chronic HD (group 1), 400 sex- and age-matched healthy subjects (group 2) and hospital patients (group 3) were tested for the IgG anti-HEV.


RESULTS
The prevalence of anti-HEV among the HD patients and the healthy controls were 31 and 8.9%, respectively. The difference (22%) was statistically significant (p < 0.01). In comparison, the anti-HEV in hospital patients was 16%.


CONCLUSIONS
The study indicated a significantly higher risk of HEV infection among patients on chronic HD in endemic regions of viral hepatitis such as Taiwan. Mostly because of anaemia, HD patients usually received packed transfusion (red blood cells) if their haemoglobin was low. It is possible that HEV infection may be transmitted through blood transfusions in an endemic area. In such areas, appropriate strategies should be adopted to prevent the risk of HEV among HD patients.
Lee
Chin-Cheng
CC
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital.
Shih
Yung-Luen
YL
Laio
Chao-Sheng
CS
Lin
Su-Mei
SM
Huang
Mei-Mei
MM
Chen
Chiung-Ju
CJ
Chen
Chao-Ping
CP
Chang
Chun-Lien
CL
Chen
Li-Ru
LR
Tschen
Shu-Yuan
SY
Wang
Chwan-Heng
CH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013624:Taiwan; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies