High prevalence of SEN virus infection in patients on maintenance hemodialysis: frequent mixed infections with different variants and evidence for nosocomial transmission of the virus.
OBJECTIVE
The SEN virus (SENV) represents a recently described group of DNA viruses, two members of which (SENV-D and SENV-H) are linked with posttransfusion hepatitis. Since patients on hemodialysis have a high risk of being infected by blood-borne viruses, we investigated the prevalence of seven SENV isolates in two distinct units of our hospital.


METHODS
The presence of SENV was investigated in 171 hemodialysis patients and in 163 controls by using a polymerase chain reaction based methodology, with which the specificity of amplified products was detected by hybridization with probes specific for each variant. Polymerase chain reaction products from 4 patients were sequenced.


RESULTS
The overall detection of SENV DNA as well as of SENV-D, SENV-E, and SENV-G was significantly higher in one of the two units, and there was a higher degree of homology in the sequences prepared from patients of the same unit. Furthermore, we demonstrated that mixed infections with multiple SENV were common. No relationship was observed between presence of SENV and sex, age, duration of hemodialysis, previous transfusions or transplantation, hepatitis infection, and routine liver test results.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that patients who undergo hemodialysis can be at high risk of SENV transmission and suggest an intraunit transmission of specific SENV variants.
Pirovano
Silvia
S
Terzo Servizio Analisi and Institute of Chemistry, Spedali Civili of Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, IT-25123 Brescia, Italy.
Gregorini
Gina
G
Malacarne
Fabio
F
Marini
Mirella
M
Albertini
Alberto
A
Imberti
Luisa
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018136:Circoviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018173:Circoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D004279:DNA, Viral