title: Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) antibody and the possible association with chronic liver disease: a case-control study in Albania.
abstract: A case-control study involving 109 in-patients with chronic liver disease and 190 in-patients with no apparent liver disease was conducted to evaluate the seroprevalence of anti-HEV antibodies and the possible association with chronic liver disease. Among cases, the anti-HEV prevalence was 36.6% which increased significantly by age; among controls, the prevalence was 12.1% (P<0.05) and was similar among age groups <60 years. Among cases, aged >50 years (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.4-11) and the presence of end stage liver disease (ESLD) (OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.4-12.8) were associated independently with anti-HEV positivity. The mean optical density, determined by anti-HEV immunoenzymatic test, was significantly higher among patients with ESLD, compared to the other patients. These results indicate that there is a high seroprevalence of anti-HEV in patients with chronic liver disease and a possible association between HEV infection and/or anti-HEV production and advanced stage chronic liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Disease, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Kondili
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chionne
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Porcaro
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Madonna
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taffon
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Resuli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taliani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rapicetta
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000415:Albania / Q000453:epidemiology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral